UNIVERSITY 
AT    LO: 


The 

Indian  Place-Names 

On  Long  Island  and  Islands 
Adjacent 

With  Their  Probable  Significations 

By 

William  Wallace  Tooker 

Algonkinist 


Edited,  with  an  Introduction  by 

Alexander  F.  Chamberlain,  Ph.D. 

Assistant  Professor  of  Anthropology,  Clark  University,  Worcester,  Mass. 


Published  for  the 

John  Jermain  Memorial  Library 

Sag  Harbor,  N.  Y. 


G.   P.   Putnam's  Sons 

New     York     and     London 

"Knickerbocker  press 
1911 


COPYRIGHT,  1911 

BY 
WILLIAM  WALLACE  TOOKER 


Ube  •Rnicftetbocftet  fntee,  Hew  Bort 


GO 
CO 


MARGARET  OLIVIA  SAGE 

WHOSE 

BENEFACTIONS   ARE   WORLD-WIDE 
THIS   VOLUME 

IS 

RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED 
BY  THE 
AUTHOR 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTION  BY  THE  EDITOR       .         .         .       vii 
SOME  PRELIMINARY  REMARKS  BY  THE  AUTHOR      xv 

THE  INDIAN  PLACE-NAMES  ON  LONG  ISLAND 

AND  ISLANDS  ADJACENT  i 

APPENDIX  I.  LIST  OF  ALGONKIAN  NAMES 
SUITABLE  FOR  COUNTRY  HOMES,  HOTELS, 
CLUBS,  MOTOR-BOATS,  ETC.  .  .  .  299 

APPENDIX  II.  BIBLIOGRAPHY  OF  CONTRIBU- 
TIONS TO  THE  STUDY  OF  ALGONKIAN 
NOMENCLATURE,  ETC.,  BY  WILLIAM 
WALLACE  TOOKER  ....  303 

APPENDIX  III.  WORKS  OF  OTHER  WRITERS 
CITED  WITH  MORE  OR  LESS  FREQUENCY 
IN  THIS  VOLUME,  AND  OTHER  WORKS 
RELATING  TO  THE  SAME  OR  CONNECTED 
TOPICS 311 


INTRODUCTION 

HPHE  timeliness  of  such  historical  studies  as  those 
•I  represented  by  Mr.  Tooker's  Indian  Place- 
Names  on  Long  Island  is  emphasized  by  the  recent 
burning  of  the  Capitol  at  Albany,  which  involved 
the  destruction  of  hundreds  (perhaps,  thousands) 
of  original  manuscripts  and  unprinted  docu- 
ments relating  to  the  period  of  early  settlement  of 
parts  of  northeastern  North  America  by  Europeans, 
Dutch  and  English  in  particular.  Not  a  few  of  the 
sources  (notably  the  records  of  land-papers  and 
kindred  material  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of 
State),  from  which  Mr.  Tooker  obtained  the  facts 
enabling  him  to  interpret  accurately  and  beyond 
all  possibility  of  doubt  many  Indian  place-names  of 
the  region  in  question,  perished  irreparably  in  the 
conflagration.  Their  true  etymologies  could  be 
ascertained  only  by  the  most  painstaking  and  in- 
telligent examination,  by  one  deeply  acquainted 
with  the  speech  of  the  Indian  inhabitants,  of  old 
deeds,  boundary-descriptions,  wills,  etc.,  many  of 
which  can  never  again  be  appealed  to  for  the  same 
original  purposes,  since  the  flames  have  now  con- 
sumed them  altogether.  It  may  even  happen 
sometime  that  the  extracts  from  certain  of  these 


viii  Introduction 

documents  (no  longer  in  existence)  to  be  found  in 
the  pages  of  Mr.  Tooker's  book  will  have  to  serve 
as  the  only  historical  or  legal  evidence  on  record 
concerning  some  of  the  matters  with  which  they 
deal.      Besides  the  place-names  themselves,  these 
old  records  often  contain  references  to  customs  and 
habits  of  both  whites  and  Indians,  notes  on  abor- 
iginal life  and  activities,   etc.,  nowhere  else   set 
down.     Incidents  of  hunting  and  fishing,  methods 
of  capturing  game,  accounts  of  native  foods,  and 
the   like,   are  reported   sometimes  in    connection 
with   brief   descriptions   of   settlements,    treaties, 
titles  to  land,  exchanges  of  property,   limitations 
of  bounds,  etc.     Some  of   the   early   documents 
formerly  on  record  at  Albany  have  been  published 
in  the  Minutes  of  the  Executive  Council  of  the  Prov- 
ince of  New  York  (2  vols.,  Albany,  1910),  edited  by 
G.  V.  H.  Paltsits,  the  State  Historian.     Here  a 
number  of  the  Long  Island  records  are  reproduced 
at    full    length.     The    lists    of    sachems    are    of 
especial  interest.     One  of  the  most  significant  as- 
pects of  human  history  is  the  story  of  race-contact. 
All  over  the  globe  abundant  evidences  of  such  con- 
tact occur  in  geographical  names,  which  are  some- 
times the  only  memorials  of  themselves  which  the 
so-called  "lower"  races  are  able  to  transmit  to  the 
"higher."     The  Red  Man,  however,  has  not  been 
so  unfortunate,  for  he  has  influenced  in  many  ways 
the  language,  the  economic  life,  and  even  the  in- 
stitutions of  his  conquerors  and  dispossessors. 


Introduction  ix 

The  mass-contact  of  the  English  and  the  Indians 
in  North  America  took  place  first  in  an  Algonkian 
area,  of  which  Long  Island  formed  a  part.  Lin- 
guistically, the  Algonkian  stock,  although  by  no 
means  intellectually  superior  to  their  Iroquoian 
neighbors,  seem  to  have  influenced  more  the  Euro- 
pean settlers  and  their  descendants.  In  an  article 
on  "Algonkian  Words  in  American  English,"  pub- 
lished in  the  Journal  of  American  Folk-Lore  for 
1901,  and  in  a  monograph  on  "The  Contribution  of 
the  American  Indian  to  Human  Civilization  (Proc. 
Amer.  Antiq.  Soc.,  1902),  the  writer  has  discussed 
this  topic,  pointing  out  that  the  contributions  of  the 
Algonkians  to  the  dictionary  of  American  English 
(past  and  present)  amount  to  at  least  200  words, 
including  such  terms  of  world-wide  fame  as  Tam- 
many, mugwump,  totem,  etc.,  while  the  element 
taken  up  from  the  Iroquoian  dialects  is  very  much 
less  numerous,  being  chiefly  limited  to  words  which 
were  originally  place-names,  but  which,  like  Chau- 
tauqua,  etc.,  have  for  some  reason  or  other  become 
common-places  of  our  speech. 

In  so  far  as  its  place-names  of  Indian  origin  are 
concerned,  Long  Island  is  completely  Algonkian, 
the  few  Iroquoian  terms  listed  by  Mr.  Tooker, 
such  as  Genissee  and  Swego,  being  due  to  the  white 
man's  introduction  of  them  from  other  parts  of 
New  York  State.  The  list  of  place-names  re- 
corded and  interpreted  by  Mr.  Tooker  constitutes, 
as  he  has  said,  with  the  exception  of  two  rather 


x  Introduction 

short  vocabularies,  obtained  at  the  close  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  our  sole  linguistic  data  con- 
cerning the  Indian  inhabitants  of  Long  Island  at 
the  period  of  European  settlement.  It  is  fortunate 
that  we  have,  from  a  competent  Algonkinist,  to 
use  a  somewhat  new  word,  this  detailed  study  of 
nearly  500  names.  For  this  not  only  the  investi- 
gators in  the  field  of  American  Indian  philology  will 
be  grateful,  but  all  those  likewise  who  are  inter- 
ested in  the  phenomena  of  race-contact  and  the 
problems  connected  with  the  accretion  of  the  vo- 
cabulary of  modern  English  from  foreign  sources. 
One  interesting  feature  of  these  researches  into 
the  origin  and  the  history  of  Indian  place-names 
is  the  turning  up  occasionally  of  a  word,  derived 
from  the  aboriginal  tongue  of  the  locality,  which 
has  passed  into  the  common  every- day  speech  of 
the  English  settlers,  or  the  Dutch,  as  the  case 
may  be.  In  discussing  the  name  Seapoose,  Mr. 
Tooker  chronicles  just  such  a  term.  Even  at  the 
present  day,  we  are  told,  "the  inlets  that  are 
opened  in  the  beaches  on  the  Southside  in  the 
towns  of  East  and  Southampton,  in  order  that 
the  ocean  may  flow  into  the  various  ponds 
and  bays,  or  vice  versa,  are  known  as  the  Seapoose." 
In  a  record  of  1650,  the  pay  for  working  "at  the 
seapoose"  is  stated  to  be  three  shillings  per  day. 
In  recent  times  the  word  has  been  applied  both  in 
Long  Island  and  New  Jersey  (in  the  form  "sea- 
puss")  to  the  "under-tow"  of  the  ocean.  The 


Introduction  xi 

term  seapoose,  or  sea-puss,  is  of  good  Algonkian 
origin,  as  shown  by  the  Narragansett  sipoese, 
Massachusetts  sepuese,  Long  Island  (Unkechaug) 
seepus,  "little  river,"  from  the  radical  sip  (seep), 
"river."  The  word  seapoose  or  sea-puss  is  not  to 
be  found  in  the  Standard  or  the  Century  Dictionary, 
but  ought  to  be  included  in  any  comprehensive  list 
of  Americanisms  of  Indian  origin.  "Sea-puss," 
perhaps,  has  a  touch  of  folk-etymology  about  it. 
Another  term,  in  process  of  becoming  an  "Ameri- 
canism," unless,  indeed,  it  is  from  English  hassock, 
is  recorded  under  Hassokey.  In  the  early  docu- 
ments "Hassokie  meadows,"  "Hassokey  swamp," 
"Hassokey  meadow,"  etc.,  are  often  mentioned; 
and  the  name  Hassock  also  appears  frequently  as 
applied  to  similar  localities  in  certain  parts  of 
Long  Island.  The  Algonkian  origin  of  the  term  is 
seen  from  the  Narragansett  hassucki,"  marsh  land," 
Delaware  assisku,  "miry,  marshy,"  etc.  A  thor- 
oughgoing examination  of  the  old  records  of  the 
settlements  within  the  Algonkian  area  of  north- 
eastern North  America  would,  doubtless,  reveal 
other  contributions  of  the  aborigines  to  the  vocabu- 
lary of  their  Aryan  successors  in  the  land. 

The  tendency  of  the  English  language  to  reduce 
many  polysyllabic  words  to  a  much  briefer  form  is 
exemplified  again  and  again  in  these  place-names 
of  Indian  origin.  Thus,  Achabachawesuck  appears 
sometimes  as  Wesuck;  Checkachagin  as  Choggin; 
Massapeague  as  Marsey;  Moncorum  and  Winecorum 


xii  Introduction 

as  Coram  or  Corum;  Pauquacumsuck  as  Quaconsuck; 
Sagaponack  as  Sagg  or  Sag;  Secommecock  as  Mecock; 
Winnecomac  as  Comae.  Remarkable  in  this  re- 
spect is  Quaquanantuck,  which  is  found  as  Quaquan- 
tuck,  Quantuck,  Quaqua,  Quagga,  Quag,  etc.  On 
the  other  hand,  we  learn  that  in  1889  the 
name  of  the  Post-Office  Sagg  was  changed  to 
Sagaponack. 

Among  the  many  place-names  on  record  as  of 
Indian  origin,  according  to  the  early  settlers  of 
Long  Island,  are  some  "ghost-words,"  as  Skeat, 
the  English  lexicographer,  terms  them  due  to  mis- 
takes of  scribes,  etc.  Such,  e.  g.,  is  Minaussums 
for  Winnecroscoms.  Occasionally  the  white  man 
has  deliberately  altered  the  form  or  the  spelling  of 
the  aboriginal  name.  This  is  the  case  with  Marra- 
tooka,  which,  by  way  of  Marrituck,  goes  back  to 
Mattituck.  The  white  man's  influence  is  seen  also 
in  the  introduction  of  names  from  other  and  kin- 
dred Indian  tongues,  and  in  the  "invention"  or 
"improvement"  of  such. 

Thus,  Ihpetonga,  Kioshk,  and  Minissais  are  Od- 
jibwa  (Chippewa)  words  introduced  by  the  late 
H.  R.  Schoolcraft,  and  Kissena  comes  from  a  like 
source.  To  Mr.  G.  R.  Howell  is  due  the  making 
of  Missipaug,  Minnesunk,  and  Nippaug. 

The  spelling  of  the  Indian  names,  both  in  Dutch 
and  English,  has  varied  extremely;  so  much,  in- 
deed, that  the  belonging  of  some  of  them  together 
would  hardly  be  suspected  were  it  not  for  the  proof 


Introduction  xiii 

furnished  by  the  original  records.  For  Setauket, 
e.  g.,  we  find  Setaulcott,  Selasacott,  and  (in  Dutch 
notation)  Sichteyhackey. 

Pseudo-Indian  names  occur,  as  Mr.  Tooker 
points  out,  in  Hoggenoch  corrupted  from  "Hog's 
Neck,"  Oquenock  (from  "Oak  Neck"),  Sy asset 
(from  Dutch  Schouts),  Wainscot  (a  good  English 
word),  etc.,  the  forms  of  which  approximate  some- 
times so  closely  real  Indian  words  that  the  his- 
torical records  alone  can  settle  the  question  of 
their  real  origin.  In  "Dix's  Hills"  is  remembered 
an  Indian  named  "Dick  Pichegan, "  and  in  quite 
a  number  of  other  place-names  only  part  of  the 
personal  appellation  (Indian  or  English)  of  some 
sannup  or  squaw  has  survived.  In  his  Preliminary 
Remarks  Mr.  Tooker  has  called  attention  to  other 
interesting  characteristics  of  some  of  these  place- 
names. 

The  Indian  Place-Names  on  Long  Island,  besides 
serving  the  more  scholarly  and  serious  purposes  of 
the  historian  and  the  philologist,  ought,  and  its 
author  has  labored  personally  to  that  end,  to  help 
strengthen  the  custom,  now  considerably  in  vogue, 
of  employing  names  of  American  Indian  origin  to 
designate  villages  and  towns  the  outgrowth  of  the 
present  day,  estates  and  seats  in  the  country  or  at 
the  sea-shore,  camps,  hotels,  cottages,  vessels  large 
and  small,  etc.  This  can  so  often  be  accomplished 
with  no  injury  to  our  mother-tongue  and  with  a 
proper  remembrance  of  those  who  tenanted  the 


xiv  Introduction 

woods  and  sailed  the  seas  before  us.  Much  can  be 
done  by  the  simple  restoration  of  names  formerly 
in  use.  Notable  examples  of  such  restoration  are 
to  be  met  with  in  "Sagamore  Hill"  (here,  perhaps, 
Mohannis,  the  sagamore  himself,  might  well  have 
been  remembered,  as  the  hill  really  bore  his  name 
once),  perpetuated  by  Mr.  Roosevelt,  and  in 
"  Mashimuet  Park, "  presented  by  Mrs.  Sage  to  the 
town  of  Sag  Harbor.  Finally,  the  editor  desires 
to  express  his  pleasure  in  seeing  preserved  in 
book-form  the  results  of  the  careful  and  suggestive 
studies  of  his  friend  and  colleague,  and  in  finding 
them  dedicated  to  one  whose  gracious  benefactions 
have  made  themselves  potent  in  all  the  walks  of 
economic  life,  religion,  art  and  science. 


ALEXANDER  F.  CHAMBERLAIN. 


CLARK  UNIVERSITY, 
WORCESTER,  MASS. 
May  22,  1911. 


SOME  PRELIMINARY  REMARKS 

"Keep  evermore  the  Indian  name 

So  long  ago  possessed,  that  tongue 
And  time  which  gave  alike  are  gone, 

Their  history  never  told  or  sung. 
I  would  not  change,  I  love  the  sound 

Associate  from  infancy, 
With  home  and  friends  and  scenes  which  grew 

Through  passing  years  more  dear  to  me." 

HPHESE  lines  are  taken  from  a  poem  entitled 
•I  Hauppaug  Sweet  Waters,  by  Ellen  S.  Mow- 
bray,  a  Long  Island  poetess.  They  are  quite 
apropos,  and  will  apply,  at  the  present  time,  to 
many  Long  Island  Indian  names  as  herein  noted, 
such  as  Montauk,  Quogue,  Amagansett,  Speonk, 
Setauket,  and  others. 

They  emphasize  the  desirability  of  retaining 
such  reminders  of  the  past,  already  bestowed,  and 
of  adopting  others  now  obsolete  and  forgotten, 
except  as  here  brought  to  view. 

Two  brief  vocabularies  of  the  Algonkian  lan- 
guage, in  the  Long  Island  dialects,  have  been 
preserved.  The  first  was  obtained  by  the  Hon. 
Thomas  Jefferson,  in  the  presence  of  the  Hon. 


xvi         Some  Preliminary  IVemarKs 

James  Madison,  and  General  Floyd,  on  January 
J3>  I79i»  at  Pusspatuck,  in  the  town  of  Brook- 
haven.  It  consists  of  about  162  words,  including 
the  numerals,  and  is  in  the  so-called  dialect  of  the 
Unguachog.  At  that  time,  said  Jefferson :  "There 
remain  but  three  persons  who  can  speak  its  lan- 
guage. They  are  old  women.  From  two  of  these 
this  vocabulary  was  taken.  A  young  woman  of 
the  same  tribe  was  also  present,  who  knew  some- 
thing of  the  language." 

The  consonantal  interchange  from  n  to  r,  in 
many  words,  shows  the  kinship  of  these  old  women 
to  the  Quiripis  of  New  Haven,  by  marriage  or 
otherwise. 

A  vocabulary  of  the  Montauks  was  obtained  on 
the  same  visit  to  Long  Island,  but  it  was  after- 
ward lost  by  accident  on  the  Potomac  River. 

The  second  vocabulary  is  in  the  Montauk  dia- 
lect, and  was  obtained  by  John  Lyon  Gardiner, 
the  seventh  Proprietor  of  Gardiner's  Island,  on 
March  25,  1798,  from  George  Pharaoh,  aged  sixty- 
six,  the  oldest  man  of  the  tribe,  and  their  chief. 
Gardiner  states,  there  were  then  only  seven  per- 
sons that  could  speak  the  language.  Many 
words  of  this  vocabulary,  which  numbers  about 
seventy-five,  exhibit  much  phonetic  decay,  and 
the  list  presents  such  an  array  of  English  and 
Montauk,  that  I  cannot  believe,  at  that  time, 
there  was  a  native  who  could  speak  the  language 
intelligently  and  correctly.  No  doubt  dying 


Some  Preliminary  R.emarKs         xvii 

echoes  of  the  language  must  have  lingered  for 
many  years  among  the  remnant  of  the  tribe. 

These  two  vocabularies,  and  the  names  which  I 
here  present,  are  all  that  remain  of  the  language 
as  once  spoken  from  Staten  Island  to  Montauk 
Point.  The  Montauk  vocabulary  in  Wood's 
History  of  Long  Island  is  not  a  true  copy  of 
the  original,  as  it  is  lacking  in  many  essentials 
especially  interesting. 

I  had  devoted  considerable  study  to  the  sub- 
ject of  Indian  names,  and  Trumbull's  work  was 
familiar  to  me,  previous  to  1887,  in  which  year, 
I  was  invited  by  Mr.  H.  F.  Gunnison,  then  editor 
of  the  Brooklyn  Daily  Eagle  Almanac,  to  prepare  a 
list  of  the  "Indian  Geographical  Names  of  Long 
Island,  with  their  Signification,"  for  that  annual 
for  the  coming  year  1888.  The  list  was  revised 
and  corrected  with  additions,  in  the  Almanac  for 
1889  and  1890.  This  was  followed  in  1893,  by  an 
essay  on  The  Indian  Names  of  Places  in  Brooklyn. 
In  1894,  The  Aboriginal  Terms  for  Long  Island 
appeared.  In  1895,  was  published  an  essay  on 
Some  Indian  Fishing  Stations  on  Long  Island. 
My  theme  for  1896  was  The  Signification  of  the 
Name  Montauk.  In  1897,  my  contribution  was 
The  Derivation  of  the  Name  Manhattan.  After  a 
lapse  of  some  years,  this  was  followed  in  the 
Almanac  for  1904  by  a  continuation,  with  additions 
and  revisions,  of  the  Indian  Names  of  Places  from 
the  Almanac  of  1890,  which  completed  my  contri- 


xviii        Some  Preliminary  IVemarKs 

butions  to  the  Brooklyn  Eagle  Almanac,  all  of 
which  were  drawn  from  the  present  work  while 
in  manuscript. 

The  essays  attracted  the  most  attention,  and 
were  reprinted  in  several  periodicals  and  after- 
wards revised  with  notes  for  my  Algonquian  Series. 
The  list  of  1888  was  the  first  ever  published,  since 
Schoolcraft's  can  hardly  be  called  a  list,  and  De 
Kay's  was  printed  for  further  information  but  not 
published. 

Viewed  from  the  standpoint  of  civilization,  the 
interpretation  of  these  Indian  names  is  looked 
upon  as  being  trivial  and  very  nonsensical ;  viewed, 
however,  from  the  Indian  standpoint,  they  are 
found  to  be  very  momentous  and  interesting. 
This  standpoint  has  nearly  always  been  misun- 
derstood or  ignored.  Our  early  settlers  generally 
considered  this  when  purchasing  land  from  the 
natives,  and  always  retained  the  Indian  boundary 
designations,  and  fully  set  them  forth  in  the  so- 
called  Indian  deeds. 

A  good  illustration  of  a  name,  from  an  Indian's 
standpoint,  is  given  by  Mackenzie  (Voyages, 
1st  Amer.  ed.,  1802,  pp.  52-53),  who  mentions 
a  carry  on  the  Churchill  River,  in  the  British 
Possessions,  called  Athiquisipichigan  Ouinigan,1  or 
"the  Portage  of  the  Stretched  Frog  Skin,"  which, 

1  The  etymology  of  this  name  is  athi  "frog";  quisi  "to  cut," 
or  "to  skin";  -pichigan,  suffix  of  instrumentality,  something 
"stretched  out"  being  understood;  ouinigan  "a  portage." 


Some  Preliminary  RemarKs          xix 

he  says,  "was  hung  up  there  by  the  Knisteneaux, 
in  derision  of  the  natives  formerly  in  possession 
of  the  country,  who  were  held  in  great  contempt 
for  being  poor  hunters,  and  for  their  ignorance 
in  properly  preparing  and  stretching  the  beaver 
skins." 

It  has  been  said,  that  in  the  composition  of 
these  names  no  imagination  on  the  part  of  the 
Indians  has  been  shown.  This  will  apply  to  those 
of  simple  structure,  but  not  to  those  of  a  more 
intricate  composition,  like  the  above. 

The  familiar  name,  tomahawk,  also  possesses 
attributes  from  the  Indian  standpoint,  totally 
unknown  to  the  Americanist.  The  name  of  the 
weapon  had  its  origin  somewhere  among  the 
eastern  Algonkians,  possibly  among  the  Massachu- 
setts, as  represented  etymologically,  by  the  form 
tumetah-who-uk,  "he  that  cuts  off,  by  a  blow. " 

The  Indians  were  very  figurative  and  expres- 
sive in  their  nature  and  speech,  and  so,  favorite 
weapons,  like  the  tomahawk,  were  given  animate 
attributes,  as  represented  by  the  Massachusetts 
notation.  Tumhican,  "a  cutting  instrument,"  is 
the  inanimate  form.  The  name  was  adopted  so 
generally  by  the  whites,  that  by  colloquial  usage 
it  became  well  known  to  the  Indians  of  an  alien 
tongue,  who  applied  it,  as  did  also  the  English,  to 
other  weapons  that  would  not  "cut  off,"  for  no 
Indian  of  the  language  where  it  had  its  birth 
would  have  called  a  curved  wooden  club  with  a 


xx  Some  Preliminary  IVemarKs 

globular  head  at  its  end,  "a  tomahawk,"  as  has 
been  done  in  museums  and  elsewhere. 

As  Prof.  Win.  H.  Holmes,  the  eminent  ethnolo- 
gist, very  aptly  remarks  (American  Anthropologist, 
n.s.  vol.  x.,  p.  276):  "The  English  colonists  ap- 
plied it  not  only  to  the  native  celt-hatchet,  but 
to  the  grooved  axe,  the  falchion  club,  and  the 
plain  globe-headed  club." 

It  occasionally  happens,  when  collecting  Indian 
vocabularies,  that  a  mistaken  meaning  sometimes 
occurs,  due  to  the  collector  or  native  misunder- 
standing the  answer  to  the  question  given  by 
the  interpreter. 

Strachey,  in  his  Historic  of  Travaile  into  Virginia, 
etc.,  furnishes  us  with  several  instances  of  this 
kind,  together  with  one  rather  remarkable  ex- 
ample. Once  upon  a  time,  as  the  story  goes, 
when  on  a  visit  to  one  of  the  Indian  Queens,  whose 
dominion  or  habitation  was  located  on  the  south 
shore  of  James  River,  he  noticed  that  she  wore  a 
chain  of  large  copper  links,  which  went  twice  or 
thrice  about  her  neck,  which  he  said,  they  accoun- 
ted "a  jolly  ornament."  On  his  asking  about  it, 
she  replied:  "tapaantamminais,"  and  so  he  noted 
it  in  his  " Dictionarie "  (in  the  above  work)  as  "a 
chayne  of  copper  with  long  lincks,  tapaantami- 
nais, ' '  while  the  real  meaning  has  nothing  what- 
ever to  do  with  "copper  links, "  but  really  indicates 
how  she  obtained  it,  viz.:  "she  enough-minded 
with  corn,  or  she  bought  it  with  corn."  Its  ety- 


Some  Preliminary  RemarKs          xxi 

mology  is  as  follows :  tapa-antam-minais  ( =  Massa- 
chusetts tapa-antam-minneasti) ,  from  tdpa,"  enough, 
sufficient";  -antam,  "minded,"  the  characteristic 
and  formative  of  verbs  expressing  mental  states 
and  activities,  hence,  "she  is  satisfied  or  conten- 
ted"; -minais  (pi.  of  min),  "corn."  It  will  be 
remarked  that  the  Powhatan  form  is  identical  with 
the  Massachusetts  (the  tilde  over  the  m  marks  the 
omission  of  the  m  following),  which  shows  how 
close  these  two  dialects  are  in  their  cognation. 

There  are  several  divisions  of  names  which 
have  been  investigated  by  the  author.  First, 
the  geographical  names,  properly  so-called,  which 
includes  those  bestowed  by  the  Indians  themselves, 
descriptive  of  some  natural  feature,  and  those 
that  appear  as  boundary  designations,  as  handed 
down  by  the  whites  in  Indian  deeds.  These 
two  sorts  are  by  far  the  most  numerous  of  all 
the  names  and  the  most  interesting. 

The  second  includes  Indian  personal  names,  as 
adopted  by  the  English,  from  the  native,  who 
formerly  erected  his  or  her  wigwam  and  planted 
the  land,  swamp,  or  creek  retaining  the  name. 
This  includes  such  well  known  names  as  Georgica, 
Meacox,  and  Moriches. 

The  third  consists  of  those  that  are  not  Algon- 
kian,  although  believed  to  be  such  by  the  majority 
of  the  inhabitants  of  those  hamlets  retaining  the 
name.  This  division  includes  Sy asset,  which  is 
of  Dutch  origin;  Wainscot,  which  is  English; 


xxii         Some  Preliminary  RemarKs 

Hoggenock,  an  error  of  an  engrosser;  and  Ligonce, 
which  belongs  to  the  realm  of  English  folk-lore. 

The  polysynthetical  structure  of  these  geogra- 
phical names  is,  with  few  exceptions,  very  simple. 
The  well,  known  Algonkian  scholar,  the  late  J.  H. 
Trumbull,  assigns  them  to  three  classes,  with 
which  I  agree:  "i.  Names  composed  of  two 
elements,  which  we  may  distinguish  as  adjectival 
and  substantival;  with,  or  without,  a  locative  suffix 
or  postposition  meaning  'at,'  'in,'  'near,'  or  the 
like.  (I  use  the  terms  'adjectival'  and  'sub- 
stantival '  because  no  true  adjectives  or  substan- 
tives enter  into  the  composition  of  Algonkian 
names.  The  adjectival  may  be  an  adverb  or  a 
preposition;  the  substantival  element  is  often  a 
verbal,  which  serves  in  composition  as  a  generic 
name,  but  which  cannot  be  used  as  an  independent 
word :  the  synthesis  always  retains  a  verbal  form.) 

"2.  Those  which  have  only  a  single  base- 
word,  the  substantival,  with  a  postposition. 

"3.  Those  formed  from  verbs,  as  participials 
or  verbal  nouns  denoting  a  place  where  the  action 
of  the  verb  is  performed." 

To  Classes  I  and  2  belong  nine-tenths  of  all  the 
Algonkian  place-names  throughout  Long  Island 
and  islands  adjacent.  Those  belonging  to  Class 
3  are  very  rare,  so  much  so  that  Trumbull  does 
not  mention  a  single  example  in  his  work  on 
Indian  Names  in  Connecticut,  while  Long  Island 
gives  us  a  number  of  this  class  of  names. 


Some  Preliminary  IVemarKs       xxiii 

The  application  of  Indian  geographical  appella- 
tions is  not  always  obvious  when  translated.  Let 
us  illustrate  this. 

There  is  a  constant  inquiry  for  euphonious 
Algonkian  names  and  their  signification.  These 
are  desired  for  various  purposes,  but  all  indicate 
the  awakened  interest  in  the  matter  under  con- 
sideration. Such  inquiries  (until  recently  when 
illness  prevented)  were  always  answered  to  the 
best  of  my  ability.  In  reply,  to  my  often  ex- 
haustive studies  of  the  names,  for  most  of  them 
cannot  be  translated  at  sight,  I  am  sometimes 
informed,  that  the  translation  does  not  apply  to 
the  locality  now  bearing  the  name.  Why  should 
it  apply,  after  a  lapse  of  two  and  a  half  centuries 
or  more? 

The  ancient  "corn  fields"  are  now  covered  with 
cedars,  and  the  "chestnut  trees"  in  the  swamp 
have  been  burned  for  years,  and  the  "burned 
woods ' '  is  merely  a  name.  As  the  poetess  has  writ- 
ten, "  tongue  and  time  which  gave  alike  are  gone." 

Take  the  well-known  name  Shinnecock  for  in- 
stance; we  find  it  applied  to  a  canal,  to  a  bay,  to  a 
neck  of  land,  and  to  a  range  of  hills,  the  last  being 
an  antithesis  to  the  original  bestowal,  for  Shinne- 
cock (not  Shinnec-ock,  as  Ruttenber  gives  it) 
denotes  "a  level  country,"  describing  " Shinne- 
cock plain,"  where  the  first  settlers  of  Southamp- 
ton found  the  tribe  encamped  in  the  earliest  days 
of  the  township. 


xxiv       Some  Preliminary  RemarKs 

Some  of  the  Indian  names  on  Long  Island  are 
duplicated  in  Virginia,  Maryland,  New  Jersey, 
Connecticut,  Rhode  Island,  and  Massachusetts. 

Long  Island  possesses  the  honor,  however,  of 
having  two  "Connecticut,"  rivers,  neither  of 
which  borrowed  its  name  from  the  larger  and 
better  known  river;  and  it  also  possesses  one 
"Mississippi,"  the  name  of  which,  historically, 
antedates  that  of  the  greater  western  stream. 

Many  of  the  names  have  suffered  curtailment  in 
some  of  their  component  parts.  These  losses, 
due  to  colloquial  use  by  the  English,  consist  some- 
times of  an  initial  prefix,  sometimes  of  a  suffix, 
frequently  of  both,  which  adds  to  the  perplexity 
of  a  puzzling  study.  These  losses  can  generally 
be  rectified  if  we  have  the  early  records  and  deeds 
of  the  townships,  wherein  the  names  are  often 
fully  set  forth. 

Long  Island  is  rich  in  these  records,  and  the 
greater  part  of  them  have  been  published,  and  so 
have  added  their  testimony  to  the  identification 
of  many  names. 

In  the  beginning  of  my  studies  in  Algonkim 
nomenclature,  I  found  it  necessary  to  utilize  all 
the  vocabularies  obtainable  for  purposes  of  com- 
parison, the  two  Long  Island  specimens  being 
totally  inadequate  for  the  proper  study  of  these 
names.  Therefore  I  have  availed  myself  of 
Roger  Williams 's  Key  into  the  Language  of 
America;  Cotton's  Vocabulary  of  the  Massa- 


Some  Preliminary  RemarKs         xxv 

chusetts;  Trumbuirs  works;  Chamberlain's  stud- 
ies; and  many  grammars  and  works  from  other 
dialects. 

I  also  found  it  necessary  to  do  much  laborious 
study,  which  does  not  show  to  any  extent  in  my 
published  essays.  This  includes  the  preparation 
of  a  Natick-English  dictionary,  made  up  from 
Eliot's  Indian  Bible,  of  which  I  have  a  copy  of 
the  second  edition,  not  mentioned  by  Pilling. 
This  dictionary  consists  of  over  five  thousand 
entries ;  but  many  words,  however,  are  duplicated, 
in  order  to  show  their  grammatical  and  polysyn- 
thetical  construction,  as  well  as  to  indicate 
Eliot's  method  of  compounding  words.  My 
dictionary  therefore  differs  entirely  from  Trum- 
buirs compilation,  having  been  made  up  for  my 
own  use  before  his  was  published  by  the  Bureau  of 
American  Ethnology.  Neither  work  is  exhaustive 
of  the  subject,  as  contained  in  Eliot's  Indian  Bible. 
In  fact,  there  is  strong  probability,  that  if  Trum- 
bull  was  unable  to  exhaust  the  subject,  that  it 
never  will  be  done,  owing  to  the  labor  involved 
in  such  an  undertaking. 

There  are  certain  peculiarities  regarding  some  of 
the  names  of  eastern  Long  Island,  not  found  else- 
where. I  refer  now  to  some  well-known  names, 
which  are  almost  effectually  disguised  under  the 
orthography  of  a  Dutch  scribe;  for  instance,  we 
find:  Mochgonnekonck,  given  for  Shinnecock;  Cots- 
jewaminck  written  for  Ahaquatuwamuck;  Mir- 


xxvi        Some  Preliminary  RemarKs 

rachtauhacky  for  Meantaukut;  Weyrinteynick  for 
Wyandance;  Catsjeyick  for  Cutchogue;  and  several 
others. 

During  the  progress  of  this  work,  while  still 
in  manuscript,  awaiting  further  search  and  dis- 
covery of  new  names,  I  have  devoted  considerable 
study  to  the  names  on  Martha's  Vineyard.  This 
essay  will  appear  in  a  forthcoming  history  of  that 
island,  by  Dr.  Charles  E.  Banks,  of  the  U.  S. 
Marine  Hospital  Service.  Also  some  study  to  the 
names  in  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  Virginia, 
and  Maryland,  the  results  of  which,  with  few 
exceptions,  have  never  heen  published. 

There  are  two  studies  which  I  regret  to  be 
obliged  to  leave  incomplete,  for  I  was  deeply 
interested  in  them  both. 

The  first  is  a  work  on  The  Proverbs  of  Solomon, 
King  of  Israel  (with  notes,  vocabulary,  etc.),  from 
the  text  of  the  Eliot  Indian  Bible,  in  collabora- 
tion with  Dr.  Alexander  F.  Chamberlain,  of  Clark 
University,  Worcester,  Mass.  In  1907,  when  I 
was  obliged  to  give  up  this  study,  fifteen  chapters 
had  been  translated,  and  two  chapters  copied  from 
the  texts  and  verified.1 

The  second  study  is  Indian  Names  of  Villages 
and  Streams,  from  Captain  John  Smith's  Map  of 
Virginia.  This  list  numbers  about  176  names, 

1  This  work  will  be  continued  by  Dr.  Chamberlain,  when 
opportunity  offers,  and  will  be  published  as  a  joint  labor  of  the 
two  authors. 


Some  Preliminary  IVemarKs      xxvii 

the  greater  part  of  which  are  here  translated,  with 
their  cognates  from  other  dialects. 

The  difficulty  of  interpreting  and  translating 
Indian  names  is  seen  not  only  in  the  work  of  ama- 
teurs but  in  that  of  some  claiming  a  somewhat 
intimate  knowledge  of  aboriginal  languages  and 
aboriginal  history.  An  example  of  erroneous  in- 
terpretation is  to  be!  seen  in  the  discussion  of  the 
etymology  of  the  name  Ronkonkoma  by  the  late 
E.  M.  Ruttenber,  in  his  Indian  Geographical 
Names,  published  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  New 
York  State  Historical  Association  for  1906.  His 
derivation  is  wrong  topographically,  as  well  as 
linguistically.  Marechkawick  (1637),  the  Indian 
name  of  Brooklyn,  cannot  possibly  be  derived 
from  Mereca,  the  South  American  name  for  a 
wild  duck,  now  applied  to  the  species  classified 
scientifically,  which  had  not  been  done  in  the 
early  seventeenth  century.  Nor  can  Moriches 
be  derived  from  the  name  of  a  South  American 
palm,  Moriche  palmata;  or  Canarsie  be  made  the 
equivalent  of  an  East  Indian  Canarese.  The 
Algonkian  origin  of  these  three  names  is  be- 
yond doubt,  their  resemblances  to  words  in  other 
languages  being  simply  chance.  Yet  such 
etymologies  are  to  be  found  in  the  work  of  Mr. 
Ruttenber  and  others  who  have  not  hesitated 
to  criticise  the  labors  of  competent  Algonkinists. 
Of  such  chance  likenesses  Major  J.  W.  Powell, 
the  eminent  ethnologist,  wrote: 


xxviii     Some  Preliminary  IVemarKs 

"Such  accidental  resemblances  are  often  found, 
and  tyro  philologists  frequently  assemble  them  for 
the  purpose  of  demonstrating  linguistic  relation- 
ship; such  adventitious  similarities  are  discovered 
in  all  departments  of  human  activities,  and  have 
no  value  for  comparative  purposes." 

During  the  assembling  of  this  list  of  Indian 
names,  many  ancient  manuscript  records,  un- 
recorded deeds  and  papers  relating  to  long  for- 
gotten lawsuits,  have  been  searched  in  order  to 
make  it  exhaustive,  if  such  an  event  were  possible. 
However  that  may  be,  we  can  truthfully  say  it  is 
nearly  so,  and  leave  to  others  to  bring  to  light 
those  that  have  been  overlooked.  Among  the 
many  friends,  who  have  willingly  assisted,  with 
good  success,  in  this  search,  I  might  name  the  late 
George  R.  Howell,  Orville  B.  Ackerly,  Esq.,  and 
William  S.  Pelletreau,  A.M.,  to  whom  I  owe  my 
grateful  acknowledgments,  for  the  interest  they 
have  taken  in  my  work.  To  Herbert  F.  Gunni- 
son,  of  the  Brooklyn  Daily  Eagle,  my  thanks  are 
also  due,  for  continued  interest  in  my  studies. 
Miss  Anna  Mulford,  has  my  thanks  for  her  valued 
help  in  preparing  these  remarks. 

WM.  WALLACE  TOOKER. 
SAG  HARBOR,  N.  Y. 


The  Indian  Place-Names  on 
Long  Island 


Indian  Place-Names 
on  Long  Island 

i.  ACABONACK,  Acabonuk:  a  neck  of  land, 
meadows  and  harbor,  in  Easthampton  town,  ad- 
joining Gardiner's  Bay.  In  the  early  records  the 
name  is  almost  invariably  applied  to  the  meadows. 
The  meadow  was  laid  out  in  1651,  viz.:  "It  is 
ordered  that  Thomas  Baker  .  .  .  shall  lay  out 
Occabonack  meadow  betweene  this  and  the  iQth  of 
this  instant  July  uppon  penalltie  of  payeinge  ios 
every  one  yt  shall  neglect  the  same  by  the  day" 
(E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  pp.  15-16).  Variations  are 
Accobannocke,  1652;  Accaboneck,  1655;  Occobonak, 
1655;  Ackobonuk,  1667;  Ackabonuk,  1672,  etc. 
Beauchamp  (Ind.  Names  in  N.  Y.,  1893)  has 
Accaponack. 

I  cannot  do  any  better  on  this  name  than  to 
quote  from  Trumbull's  study  : 

"The  Indians  frequently  designated  localities 
by  the  names  of  esculent  or  medicinal  roots  which 
they  produced.  In  the  Algonkin  language,  the 
generic  name  for  tubers  and  bulbs  was  pen,— 


2  Indian  Place-Names 

varying  in  some  dialects  to  pin,  pena,  pon  or 
bun.  This  name  seems  originally  to  have  be- 
longed to  the  common  ground-nut,  Apios  tuber osa 
(Abnaki,  pen,  pi.  penak).  Other  species  were 
designated  by  prefixes  to  this  generic,  and  in  the 
composition  of  place-names,  a  suffix  was  employed 
to  denote  locality  (auk,  auki,  ock,  etc.).  .  .  . 
Several  local  names  of  this  kind  have  been 
preserved  in  the  eastern  townships  of  Long 
Island.  The  species  denoted  by  the  prefix 
cannot  in  all  cases  be  determined,  but  the 
generic  name,  with  its  localizing  affix,  is  easily 
recognizable. 

"Acabonac,  Accabonuck:  now  the  name  of  a 
harbor  of  Gardiner's  Bay,  Easthampton,  was 
originally  the  designation  of  a  '  root  place. '  The 
species  is  not  ascertained.  Probably  it  is  the 
same  that  is  mentioned  by  Hariot,  in  Virginia,  as 
Okeepenauk,  'roots  of  round  shape,'  found  in  dry 
ground;  the  inhabitants  used  to  boil  and  eat 
many  of  them"  (Mag.  Amer.  Hist.,  vol.  i.,  1877, 
pp.  386-387). 

2.  ACCOMBOMMOK:  "An  ancient  village  site 
on  Montauk"  (De  Kay's  Indian  Names  on  Long 
Island}.  The  writer  has  been  unable  to  find  any 
other  authority,  than  the  above  for  this  name.  De 
Kay  may  have  taken  his  authority  from  the 
following: 

(a)  Accombomok:    "Is  the  name  of  part  of  the 


On  Longf  Island  3 

town  [of  Easthampton],  lying  on  the  north  ad- 
joining the  sound  where  there  is  a  small  harbor." 
(Thompson,  vol.  i.,  p.  310.)  Appears  also  as 
Acabomock  (U.  S.  Coast  Survey  map).  This 
place  has  always  been  known  locally  as  Acabo- 
nack. 

(b)  Accombomack:  "That  part  of  it  [Shinne- 
cock]  adjoining  Peconic  Bay  is  called  Accom- 
bomack" (Thompson,  vol.  i.,  p.  359).  This  is 
another  error,  as  the  locality  mentioned  has  always 
been  known  as  Seponack  or  Sabonack.  See  Acom- 
bamack. 

3.  ACCOMPSETT:  a  locality  in  Smithtown,  L.  I. 
Found  recorded  in  an  order  concerning  the  Smith- 
town   boundary,    dated    1670:     "Declaring    and 
offering  to  prove  that  ye  Nesaquake  lands  lay  on 
both  sides  of  ye  Ryver,  and  that  parte  lyeing  on 
ye  westsyde,  comonly  called  Nesaquaque  Accomp- 
sett,  did  extend  as  farre  as  ye  fresh  pond  west- 
ward" (H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  170).     See  Nesaquaque 
Accompsett. 

4.  ACHABACHAWESUCK:  a  small  creek  or  brook, 
between  Fourth  Neck  and  Pine  Neck,  Atlantic- 
ville,  Southampton  town.     It  is  now  known  locally 
as  Wesuck.     In  the  laying  out  of  Wonunk  Neck 
in  1686,  we  find  it  stated:   "Fourth  Neck  begins 
at  a  marked  tree  a  little  below  quogo  path,  and 
soe  runs  strait  over  to  a  tree  at  Acha-bacha-we- 


4  Indian   Place-Names 

suck,  about  50  poles  below  the  going  over" 
(S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  114).  The  variations  are 
Achabachwesuck,  1686;  Achabusuckwesuck,  1738; 
Achabuchawesuck,  1738;  Wesuck,  1738.  This  long 
name  has  been  a  puzzle  for  a  long  time,  owing  to 
loss  of  a  portion  of  its  reduplicated  prefix,  and 
the  substitution  of  b  for  p.  The  real  etymology 
is  (Ch}acha-bachau-we-suck, corresponding  to  Mass- 
achusetts Chachapdchauwesuck,  "separated  turn- 
ing aside  little  brook, "  hence  "a  boundary  brook. " 
The  intensive  prefix  denotes  "a  permanent  or 
continuous  division  or  separation."  The  com- 
ponents of  the  word  are,  therefore,  chacha,  denot- 
ing "division,"  "separation";  pdchau,  "he  turns 
aside,"  "deviates";  -suck,  "creek,"  "brook." 

5.  ACOMBAMACK:  the  neck  of  land  on  which  is 
situated  the  village  of  Bellport,  Brookhaven  town. 
This  name  is  first  mentioned  in  the  Indian  deed  of 
1664,  viz.:  "Concerning  a  parsell  of  land,  lyinge 
upon  the  south  side  of  Long  Island,  being  bounded 
on  the  south  with  the  Grate  baye,  and  on  the  weste 
with  a  fresh  ponde,  aioyning  to  a  place  comonly 
called  Acombamack,  and  on  the  east  with  a  river 
called  Yamphanke,"  etc.  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  n). 
Variations  are  Occombamack,  Ockanbamack,  Com- 
bamack.  The  word  Acombamack  signifies  "over 
against  the  fishing-place."  The  first  section, 
acomb  or  occomb,  is  the  parallel  of  the  Massachu- 
setts ogkome  (Eliot);  Chippewa,  agami;  Narra- 


On  Long;  Island  5 

gansett,  acawamen,  signifying  "on  the  other  side," 
"over  against";  the  terminal  affix  -amack,  de- 
notes "a  fishing-place,"  and  is  a  common  adjunct 
to  many  Indian  place-names  throughout  New 
England  and  on  Long  Island.  In  this  case,  the 
neck  of  land  was  probably  near  a  place  where  the 
Indians  had  a  fishing  weir.  See  also  Algonquian 
Series,  vol.  i.,  pp.  16-18. 

6.  AGAWOM,  Agawam:  the  town  pond  in  the 
village  of  Southampton  is  now  called  Lake  Aga- 
wam. Ogilby,  who,  in  his  History  of  America 
(1671,  p.  161),  writes:  "About  the  year  1640,  by  a 
fresh  supply  of  people,  that  settled  on  Long  Island, 
who  there  erected  the  twenty  third  town,  called 
Southampton,  by  the  Indians  Agawom,"  commits 
an  error  which  has  been  perpetuated  by  many  of 
the  Long  Island  historians  without  question.  It 
does  not  appear  in  any  of  the  early  records  of  the 
township.  Ogilby,  in  the  opinion  of  the  writer, 
by  mistake  took  this  from  Smith's  Generall  Historie 
of  New-England  (1624,  p.  205),  where  the  English 
name  of  Southampton  was  bestowed  by  Prince 
Charles,  at  the  suggestion  of  Capt.  John  Smith, 
on  an  Indian  village  in  Massachusetts  called 
Agawom.  The  locality  afterwards  was  called 
Ipswich. 

The  name  is  applied  to  several  localities  through- 
out New  England  where  there  are  low  flat  meadows 
or  marshes.  Of  the  several  suggested  transla- 


6  Indian  Place-Names 

tions,  none  are  satisfactory,  mainly  because  a 
termination  is  missing,  making  the  name  Aga- 
wom-uk,  "where  there  is  a  going  under,"  from 
agwu,  "under,"  -worn,  "a  going,"  with  locative, 
"where  there  is."  The  word  would  thus  mean: 
"low  flat  meadows,"  that  are  frequently  over- 
flowed. See  other  names  belonging  to  Trumbull's 
third  class.  J.  N.  B.  Hewitt  (Handb.  of  Amer. 
Inds.  N.  of  Mexico,  vol.  i.,  1907,  p.  21)  interprets 
Agawam  as  "fish-curing  (place),"  and  Kinnicutt 
(Ind.  Names  of  Places  in  Plym.  Co.,  Mass.,  1909, 
p.  1 8)  as  " unloading-place, "  or  "landing-place," 
but  neither  of  these  can  be  correct. 

7.  AHAQUATUWAMUCK  :  Shelter  Island.  This 
name  occurs  occasionally  in  the  early  records 
separately.  First,  in  the  Dutch  archives  as 
Cotsjewaminck,  afterwards  in  the  English,  in  1652, 
viz:  "And  hee  the  said  Yokee  delivered  unto  the 
aforesaid  Captaine  Nathaniel  Silvester  and  En- 
signe  John  Booth  one  turfe  with  a  twige  in  their 
hands  according  to  the  usual  custome  of  the 
English,  after  which  delivery  and  full  possession 
given,  the  said  Yokee,  with  all  his  Indians  that 
were  formerly  belonging  to  said  Island  of  Aha- 
quatuwamuck  did  freely  and  willingly  depart" 
(Southold  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  158).  "All  that  their 
Islands  of  Ahaquatuwamuck  otherwise  called 
Menhansack  in  1656"  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  97). 
See  Manhansack  Ahaquatuwamock. 


On  Long  Island  7 

8.  AMAGANSETT:  a,  village  in  East  Hampton 
town.  ' '  The  foundation  of  the  village  was  laid  out 
at  a  very  early  day;  its  Indian  owner  was  Am-eag- 
an-sett"  (Gardiner's  Chronicles  of  East  Hampton). 
No  authority  for  this  statement  can  be  found. 
I  have  previously  given  the  signification  as 
"in  the  neighborhood  of  the  fishing-place" 
(Brooklyn  Eagle  Almanac,  1888,  1889,  1890; 
E.  H.  R.,  vol.  iv.,  1889).  This  seemed  to  be  right 
by  etymology,  and  from  the  celebrity  of  the 
locality  as  a  whaling  station  from  a  very  early 
period.  Besides,  a  similar  name  appears  as  the 
terminal  syllable  in  a  Rhode  Island  place-name, 
viz.:  Mashaquamagansett,  "red  (salmon)  fishing- 
place."  This  meaning  was  originally  furnished 
by  Dr.  Trumbull  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  to  Wm.  S. 
Pelletreau,  Esq.,  who  gave  it  in  his  paper  before 
the  Suffolk  County  Teachers  Association,  May 
3,  1883.  Recent  study  of  Eliot's  Indian  Bible  in 
connection  with  the  town  records  has  fully  con- 
vinced me  that  it  is  wrong,  as  the  following  shows. 

That  part  of  the  village  south  of  the  main  street 
was  known  at  the  earliest  period  as  the  ' '  Indian 
well  plain,"  and  was  laid  out  previous  to  1668 
(E.  H.  R.,  vol.,  i.,  pp.  305,  322).  The  tract  north 
of  the  street  was  part  of  the  undivided  common 
land  up  to  1672,  and  was  known  as  the  "woods 
north  of  the  Indian  well"  and  as  the  "Amogonset 
woods."  In  1672,  Rev.  Thos.  James,  John  Mul- 
ford,  and  Jeremiah  Conkling,  in  consideration  of 


Indian  Place-Names 

their  resigning  title  to  the  land  on  Montauk  pur- 
chased by  them  in  1670  (see  Wuchebesuck) ,  were 
granted  a  tract  "att  the  woodland  lyeing  against 
the  Indyan  well, "  or  "above  the  Indyan  well  plain 
in  the  woods"  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  pp.  344,  353). 
In  1683,  Thos.  James  sells  fifty-two  acres  of  his 
allotment  to  Abraham  Schellinger  "in  the  woods 
eastward  of  ye  towne,  bounded  E.  by  Jeremy 
Conkling,  W.  by  Thos.  James,  south  by  ye  high- 
way that  goes  to  Napeage,  north  by  highway 
commonly  called  A mogonset  way."  James's  deed 
to  Schellinger  is  not  on  record,  but  he  conveys  the 
remainder  of  his  tract  to  the  same  party  in  1685, 
where  the  land  is  "toward  ye  Indian  well" 
(E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  235).  John  Mulford  sells 
part  of  his  tract  in  1698,  "lying  Eastward  in  ye 
woods  north  of  ye  Indian  well"  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii., 
p.  409).  In  the  following  year  (1699)  he  conveys 
another  part  of  the  same  tract  "at  Ammaganset" 
(vol.  ii.,  p.  465).  A  depression  in  the  ground 
running  for  some  distance  north  and  south  through 
the  village  is  occasionally  mentioned  in  the  records 
as  the  "Indian  well  hollow"  and  is  still  so-called. 
Isaac  Schellinger,  a  descendant  of  Abraham  Schel- 
linger, now  aged  (1890)  about  eighty,  says  that 
tradition,  as  handed  down  to  him,  located  the 
Indian  well  near  the  U.  S.  Life-Saving  Station, 
on  land  now  belonging  to  Mrs.  Benj.  Terry.  The 
well  was  probably  the  hollow  trunk  of  a  pepperidge 
tree  (Nyssa  multiflora)  sunk  in  the  meadow  that 


On  Long  Island  9 

adjoins  the  upland.  I  have  seen  several  placed  in 
that  manner  at  running  springs  of  water,  that 
were  quite  ancient.  Variations  of  the  Indian 
name  are:  Amogonset  woods,  1688;  Amegansit 
woods,  1694;  Amagansick,  1695;  Amiganset,  1695; 
Ameganset,  1695;  Ammagansit,  1698;  Amegonset 
woods,  1699  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  pp.  229,  309,  333, 
335>  337»  408,  463).  These  terms  all  refer  to  the 
tract  granted  to  the  three  individuals  above 
named.  The  word  Amagansett  is  therefore  the 
Algonkian  synonym  of  the  English  "Indian  well 
plain";  and  the  Indians  in  speaking  of  it  used 
the  prefix  which  the  whites  dropped,  as  was  fre- 
quently the  case  in  many  Indian  place-names. 
The  etymology  is  wutah,  "a  thing";  amogan,  to 
drink "  \-es-it,  "  at,  about,"  etc.  As  a  whole  Wutah- 
amogan-es-it  "at  about  or  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  drinking  thing  (a  well),"  the  equivalent  of  the 
Massachusetts  (Eliot)  wutah-amoganit,  "at  the 
well"  (Genesis  xxix.,  2);  wuttah-hamonganit,  "to 
the  spring  (Deut.  iv.,  49);  and  of  the  Narragan- 
setts  wutt'ammagon,  "a  pipe,"  "drink  instru- 
ment" (R.  Williams);  wutt'amme,  "he  drinks" 
(R.  Williams);  wutt'ammanog,  "weak  tobacco," 
lit.  "what  they  drink"  (R.  Williams).  Both  the 
early  settlers  and  the  Indians  used  the  verb  "to 
drink"  when  speaking  of  smoking  a  pipe. 

9.    ANCHANNOCK  :  Robins  Island,  Peconic  Bay, 
Southold  town.     The  Indian  name  of  this  island 


io  Indian  Place-Names 

seems  to  have  been  entirely  lost,  until  it  was 
brought  to  light  by  the  publishing  of  the  early 
records.  The  Indian  deed,  dated  Dec.  7,  1665, 
says:  "Certain  Island  called  in  the  Indian  tonge 
Anchannock  in  English  Robert's  Island  [Robins], 
scituate  lying  and  being  in  a  branch  of  the  sea 
that  runs  up  between  Southampton  and  Southold 
right  over  against  that  part  of  Long  Island  that  is 
called  Corchauk"  (S.  R.,  vol.  L,  p.  255).  This 
island,  together  with  Shelter  Island  (as  the  story 
goes)  was  chosen  by  James  Farrett,  the  agent  for 
the  Earl  of  Stirling,  as  his  perquisite,  and  ex- 
empted from  the  Southampton  conveyance  of 
1640.  Farrett  having  conveyed  the  latter  to 
Stephen  Goodyear  of  New  Haven  in  1641,  he  must 
also  have  sold  this  island  to  Robert  Carmand  or 
Cannon  (?)  for  we  find:  "and  whereas  alsoe  the 
said  Stephen  Goodyear  by  his  bill  of  sale  from 
Robert  Carmand  did  stand  seized  of  one  Island 
commonly  called  by  the  name  of  Robert's  Island 
scituate  lying  neere  Menhansack  Island  aforesaid 
hee  the  said  Robert  Carmand  haveinge  formerly 
purchased  the  same  of  lyoncam  Sachem  of  Pam- 
manock"  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  97).  No  other 
record  of  Carmand 's  purchase  can  be  found. 

In  the  Brooklyn  Eagle  Almanac  for  1888,  1889, 
1890,  I  gave  the  meaning  as  a  "place  full  of 
timber"  or  "land  well  wooded,"  considering  it 
the  equivalent  of  the  Delaware  (Zeisberger)  tach- 
annicke,  "full  of  timber,"  tachanigeu,  "woody," 


On   Long   Island  II 

etc.  Hence  we  have  Anchann-auke,  "land  well 
wooded,"  or  "full  of  timber."  After  many  years 
of  study  I  am  fully  satisfied  that  the  above  is  the 
true  etymology,  for  none  other  answers  as  well. 
Wood  was  very  scarce  in  Southold  town  from  a 
very  early  day.  See  Mattituck. 

10.  ANENDESAK:  a  tract  of  land  in  Huntington 
town.     Records  show  "July  30,   1705,   Cornells 
Van  Texall  and  others  petition  for  a  tract  of  land 
on  Long  Island,  in  the  county  of  Suffolk,  near  the 
town  of  Huntington  called  by  the  natives  Anende- 
sak,  in  English  Eader  necks  beach."     The  mean- 
ing of  Anendesak  has  not  been  ascertained.     The 
word  is  probably  badly  corrupted  (Eader  neck  = 
"Eaton's  neck"). 

11.  ANOCK:  a  short  creek  at   the  bottom  of 
Fourth   Neck,  Atlanticville,  Southampton.     The 
trustees  of  the  Freeholders  and  Commonalty  of  the 
town  of  Southampton,  under  date  of  July  I,  1698, 
sold  the  common  grass  to  Francis  Sayre,  from 
Annock  to  the  west  bounds.     (Meacox  Bay  Oyster 
Case,  p.  382.)     Elisha  Howell's  will,  dated  May  15, 
1771,  leaves  son  Mathew  Howell  "all  that  neck 
of  land  called  Fourth  neck — and  the  land  lying 
against   said   neck — -between  the  land   of   Capt. 
John  Post  and  the    creek  called  Anock  Creek" 
(Pelletreau's  Will,  Sea-Side  Times,  Oct.  24,  1889). 
This  is  a  remnant  of  a  longer  name,  but  what 


12  Indian  Place-Names 

the  original  might  have  been,  it  is  impossible  to  say 
at  this  late  day,  as  it  is  not  found  on  record  except 
as  above.  There  are  several  names  with  similar  ter- 
minations, such  as :  Mamanock,  Mashmanock,  etc. 

12.  ANUSKKUMMIKAK  :  neck  of  land  in  Baby- 
lontown,  formerly  called  "Little  East  Neck,"  or 
"Capt.  Fleet's  Neck."  We  find  the  following  in 
the  early  records  of  Huntington  town,  1682:  "A 
parcell  of  land  or  meadow  lying  and  being 
upon  a  certain  neck  called  by  ye  name  of  Anus- 
bymonika  lying  and  being  on  ye  south  side 
of  Long  Island,  being  bound  on  the  east  by 
a  creek;  on  the  south  by  ye  meadow  of  Cap- 
tain Thomas  Fleet"  (vol.  i.,  p.  341).  An  Indian 
deed  of  1697  says:  "A  certain  necke  of  land 
lying  on  ye  south  side  of  this  Island  within  Hunt- 
ington Patten  joyning  to  a  river  yt  parteth  this  sd 
necke  and  a  neck  called  Sampaumes  this  river  is 
called  by  ye  Indians  Anuskcomuncak,  this  sd  neck 
is  called  ye  Easte  neck,  or  Captain  Fleet's  Neck, 
by  the  Indians  Arasecoseagge"  (vol.  ii.,  p.  214). 
A  deed  of  1698:  "Part  of  an  Island  of  meadow 
being  undevided  lying  on  ye  east  side  of  ye  neck 
called  Amuskemunnica  being  bound  on  ye  east 
with  Sampaumes  creek"  (vol.  ii.,  p.  218).  Varia- 
tions are  Wamskcumuncake  (Munsell's  Hist.  Suff. 
Co.}',  Anuskkummikak  (J.  W.  Cooper,  Esq.,  Baby- 
lon Signal,  June  13,  1885). 

These  extracts  from  the  old  records  prove  con- 


On  Long  Island  13 

clusively  that  the  name  belonged  originally  to  the 
upland  only,  and  not  to  the  creek  or  meadow; 
and  that  Captain  Fleet's  meadow  of  Arasecoseagge 
was  on  the  south  of  this  neck.  On  the  upland 
were  located  the  corn  fields  of  the  Indians,  doubt- 
less free  from  timber  at  the  time  of  settlement. 
From  this  fact  was  derived  the  name,  which  signi- 
fies "land  to  hoe  or  break  up,"  "planting  land," 
"corn  fields,"  "plowed  ground";  the  parallel  is 
found  in  the  Narragansett  (R.  Williams)  anask- 
hommin,  "to  hoe  or  break  up";  munaskunnemen, 
"to  weed";  Delaware  (Zeisberger)  munaskhamen, 
"to  weed,"  "to  hoe  out."  Eliot  uses  the  same 
radical  in  various  forms  for  "to  work,"  "plow- 
ing, "  "the  plowman, "  etc.,  as,  e.g.,  in  Hosea,  x.  12, 
annaskhamook, ' '  break  up  " ;  Isaiah  xxiii.,  24,  anask- 
hammen,  "plowman";  Micahiii.,  12,  anashkamuk, 
"plowed. "  Wood  in  his  New  England's  Prospect 
(1634)  gives:  "another  work  is  their  planting  of 
corne,  wherein  they  exceede  our  English  hus- 
bandman, keep  it  so  cleare  with  their  clamme- 
shell-hooes  as  if  it  were  a  garden  rather  than  a 
cornfield  not  suffering  a  choking  weede  to  advance 
his  audacious  head  above  their  infant  corne,  or 
an  undermining  worme  to  spoile  his  spurnes. " 
Roger  Williams  (1643)  says:  "When  a  field  is  to 
be  broken  up,  they  have  a  very  loving,  sociable 
speedy  way  to  dispatch  it;  all  the  neighbors  men 
and  women,  forty,  fifty,  hundred,  joine  and  come  in 
to  helpe  freely.  The  women  set  or  plant,  weede  and 


14  Indian  Place-Names 

hill  and  gather  and  barne  all  the  corne  and  Fruites 
of  the  Field ;  y  t  sometimes  the  man  himself  (either 
out  of  love  to  his  wife,  or  care  for  his  children,  or 
being  an  old  man)  will  help  the  woman  which  (by 
the  custome  of  the  country)  they  are  not  bound  to." 

13.  APOCOCK:  tract  of  upland  and  meadow, 
east  of  Beaver-dam  River,  West  Hampton.  The 
locality  is  now  termed  Paucuck.  It  is  noted  in 
the  Southampton  town  records  as  early  as  1663, 
viz. :  "  All  these  lands — that  he  the  said  John  Scot 
boght — of  Mr.  John  Ogden  of  Feversham,  lying 
and  being  bounded,  west  on  the  south  with  a 
creek  or  river  comonly  knowne  by  the  appellation 
of  Apaucuck"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  175). 

An  agreement  of  1665  says:  "The  bounds 
agreed  upon  between  the  Shinnacock  and  Unche- 
chauke  Indians  before  the  Governor  Richard 
Nicoll  are,  'That  the  Shinnecocks  Bounds  to  the 
westward  are  to  Apaucock  Creeke,  That  the 
Unchechauge  Bounds  to  the  East  are  Apaucock 
Creek,  That  the  middle  of  the  River  is  the  utmost 
Bounds  to  each,  But  that  either  nation  may  cutt 
fflaggs  for  their  use  on  either  side  of  the  River 
without  molestacon  or  breach  of  the  Limetts, 
agreed"  (Book  of  Deeds,  vol.  ii.,  p.  125,  Office 
of  Sec'y  of  State,  Albany,  N.  Y.).  Variations  are: 
Apocuck,  1712;  Appocock,  1738;  Apockac,  1746; 
Apocock,  1748.  This  name  is  a  variation  of 
Appaquoge  (Appuhqu-auke  or  Apoqu-auke)  "  flaggy 


On  Long  Island  15 

land,"  or  "wigwam-covering  place."     See  Appa- 
quogue. 

14.  APPAQUOGUE,  Apoquogue:  a  farming  dis- 
trict in  East  Hampton  town,  near  a  flaggy 
meadow.  Although  well  known  by  this  appella- 
tion throughout  the  township,  it  is  not  mentioned 
in  the  town  records.  The  vicinity  is  sometimes 
designated  as  the  "Lily  Pond."  As  the  name 
occurs  in  several  localities  throughout  Connecticut, 
and  on  Long  Island,  we  cannot  do  better  than  to 
give  Dr.  J.  Hammond  Trumbull's  study  from  his 
Indian  Names  in  Connecticut:  The  name  signi- 
fies "a  place  where  flags  grow, "  such  as  were  used 
by  the  Indians  for  mats  and  for  covering  their 
wigwams:  particularly  the  cat-tail  flag  (Typha 
latifolia).  The  root  means  "to  cover";  as  in  the 
Massachusetts,  appuhquau,  "he  covers  it,"  and 
abuhquosik,  "a  covering " ;  Narragansett  abockquos, 
"a  mat  for  covering  the  wigwam";  Chippewa 
apakwei,  "lodge  mat."  Chippewa  and  Ottawa 
pukwi,  "cat-tail  flag, "  gives  its  name  to  Puckaway 
Lake,  on  the  route  from  Green  Bay  to  Wisconsin 
River  (see  Tanner's  Narrative,  p.  55).  The  word 
appaquogue  represents  appaqui-auke  and  means 
"lodge-covering  place,"  the  components  being 
appaqui,  "lodge-covering";  -auke,  "place." 

15.    APPOPOTTAMAX  :     creek    at    Bay    Shore. 
Mentioned  in  Brooklyn  Times  of  January  26,  1899, 


16  Indian  Place-Names 

as  about  to  be  dredged.  This  name  is  not  on  re- 
cord, as  far  as  I  can  learn,  and  no  other  authority 
than  the  above  has  been  found  for  it.  If  the  form  is 
correct,  it  is  probably  appoquot-om-uck,  "where 
there  is  going  for  flags, "  or  "where  flags  are  gath- 
ered." The  form  belongs  to  Trumbull's  Class  3,  and 
is  interesting  on  that  account.  See  Appaquogue. 

1 6.  AQUEBOGUE:  hamlet  in  Riverhead  town, 
about  three  miles  east  of  the  county  seat.  The 
name  belonged  originally  to  land  and  meadows  on 
the  north  side  of  the  bay,  although  the  same  name 
was  afterwards  bestowed  on  meadows  at  Flanders 
in  Southampton  town.  These  meadows  were 
considered  very  valuable  by  the  early  settlers  and 
were  the  cause  of  a  lawsuit  in  1667.  They  are 
frequently  mentioned  in  both  the  Southampton 
and  Southold  town  records.  This  name  appears 
first  in  the  two  Indian  deeds  of  1648,  viz.:  "The 
whole  tract  of  land  commonly  called  Ocquebauck 
together  with  the  land  and  meadows  lying  on  the 
other  side  the  water  as  far  as  the  creek  .  .  . 
Toyoungs"  (S.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  12).  "For  all  that 
land  lying  between  Conchake  and  Ucquebaak  com- 
monly called  Mattatuck"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  vi.,  p. 
76).  From  the  above  abstracts  it  will  be  readily 
seen  that  Ucquebaug  was  land  on  the  north  side  of 
Peconic  River  and  Bay.  Paucamp,  an  old  Indian, 
said  in  1667:  "Toyoungs  [Red  Creek  as  it  is 
now  called]  being  the  outbounds  lying  in  opposi- 


On  Long;  Island  17 

tion  to  Occabauk  old  grounds  on  the  north  side  of 
the  bay. "  The  variations  of  this  name  are  almost 
innumerable,  among  them:  Occabock,  1656;  Occo- 
bauk,  1663;  Agabake,  1663;  Ocquebauk,  1663; 
Ahkobauk,  1667;  Ackqueboug,  1670;  Aucquobouke, 
1675;  Hauquebaug,  i6^;Occaquabauk,  1681,  etc., 
etc.  With  all  these  variations,  it  resolves  itself 
into  an  original  Ucque-baug,  "the  end  of  the 
water-place"  or  "head  of  the  bay"  (ukque,  be- 
ing a  variation  of  wequa,  "at  the  end  of,"  "as 
far  as,"  "at  the  head,"  -bang,  being  a  variation 
of  the  inseparable  generic  -paug,  "water-place"). 
The  Montauk  chief  in  1667,  referring  to  this  land 
(Ukquebaug)  called  it  "land  from  ye  head  of  the 
bay"  (Col.  Hist,  of  N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  600).  See 
also  the  discussion  of  this  name  by  the  late  Wil- 
liam Jones  in  the  Handbook  of  American  Indians 
North  of  Mexico  (Bull.  30,  Pt.  I.,  p.  71,  Bur.  Amer. 
Ethnol.,  Wash.,  1907).  Mr.  Jones's  etymology  is, 
however,  not  to  be  approved. 

17.  AQUEHONGA  MANACKNONG:  Staten  Island, 
Richmond  Co.,  N.  Y.  A  deed  from  the  Indians 
to  Governor  Lovelace,  April  13,  1660,  is  for  "an 
Island  in  Hudson's  River,  commonly  called 
Staten  Island,  and  by  the  Indians  Aquehonga 
Manacknong"  (Land  Papers,  Office  of  the  Sec'y 
of  State,  Albany,  N.  Y.,  vol.  i.,  p.  34). 

This  name  probably  referred  to  a  palisadoed 
village  of  the  Indians,  or  perhaps  one  belonging 


i8  Indian  Place-Names 

to  the  whites,  located  somewhere  on  the  broad 
range  of  hills  that  extend  across  the  island  (near 
Tompkinsville  these  hills  attain  an  elevation  of 
310  feet).  The  first  part  of  the  name  is  given  in 
Dutch  notation  as  "Ehquaons,"  Aquehonga  being 
the  parallel  of  the  Delaware  (Zeisberger)  achwo- 
wangeu,  "steep  high  bank";  manacknong  from 
the  Delaware  manachk,  "a  fort,"  "stockade,"  or 
any  "fenced  enclosure";  -nong  the  terminal  suffix 
denoting  "locality,"  "place,"  etc.  The  word  as 
a  whole  signifies  "the  high  bank  foot  place,"  or 
"place  of  the  high  bank  foot."  See  Monocknong 
and  Eghquaons. 

1 8.  ARACA,    A  race:   West    Neck,   Amity  ville, 
Babylon  town.     Recorded  in  the  Indian  deed  of 
1697,  viz.:    "A  certain  neck  of  land  lying  on  ye 
south  side  of  this  Island  called  by  ye  Indians 
araca  by  ye  English  ye  west  neck  being  ye  weste- 
most  neck  of  Huntington  bounds  on  ye  south  side 
bounded  on  ye  east  by  a  River  and  swampe  which 
parteth  this  sd  neck  and  Neck  called  by  ye  Indians 
scuraway"  (H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  208).     Arace,  1698. 
This  name  is  perhaps  the  same  as  the  Narragansett 
awwasse,    Delaware   awusse,   Abnaki   awas,   "be- 
yond,"  "furthermost,"   "further,"  especially  as 
it  was  the  "  westemost  neck  "of  Huntington  bounds 
at  that  date,  as  was  Arasecoseagge  on  the  east. 

19.  ARASECOSEAGGE:  neck  of  land  at  the  vil- 


On  Long  Island  19 

lage  of  Babylon.  It  is  mentioned  by  this  name 
once  only  in  the  records  of  the  town,  then  in  the 
Indian  deed  of  1697,  viz.:  "Sd  necke  is  called  by 
ye  english  ye  outermost  east  necke  or  comonly 
known  by  ye  name  of  Captain  fleets  neck  and  by 
ye  Indans  arasecoseagge.  Bounded  on  ye  west  by 
a  swampe  yt  parteth  ye  other  east  neck  and  this 
sd  neck  of  upland  from  ye  edge  of  ye  medow  to  ye 
head  of  ye  swamp"  (H.  R.,  vol.  ii,  p.  214). 
Arascascagge  (Munsell's  Hist.  S.  C.).  Mr.  J.  W. 
Cooper,  in  the  Babylon  Signal,  June  15,  1885, 
writes:  "The  neck  of  land  on  which  the  Argyle 
Hotel  was  situated  was  called  Awrasse-cas-cagge." 
The  same  neck  is  referred  to  under  two  other 
entries  in  the  town  records  as  Anusk  kummikak, 
the  probable  explanation  of  which  is  that  one  was 
the  name  of  the  upland,  while  the  other  desig- 
nated the  meadow. 

Roger  Williams  would  probably  have  written 
this  name,  Awwassemicuckaskeet,  "the  furthermost 
meadow"  (arase,  the  parallel  of  the  Narragansett 
awasse,  Delaware  awossi,  Abnaki,  awas,  "fur- 
ther, "  "beyond, "  "furthermost, "  etc. ;  —  coseagge, 
a  corruption  of  a  word  corresponding  to  the  Narra- 
gansett micuckaskeet,  "a  meadow").  The  English 
appellation  "Eastermost  east  neck,"  corroborates 
this  analysis  of  the  word. 

20.  ARESHUNK:  a  neck  of  land  at  Centre 
Moriches,  Brookhaven  town.  The  landing  at 


2O  Indian  Place-Names 

the  foot  of  Union  Avenue  at  that  village  is  some- 
times so  designated.  The  neck  is  now  in  the 
possession  of  Gaston  Fay,  the  artist.  The  deed  of 
Wm.  Smith  to  Walter  Dongan  gives  it  as  Areshunk, 
1734.  Another  spelling  is  Arescunk,  1751.  The 
deed  of  Jno.  Gardiner  to  Jeremiah  Havens,  Aug. 
I,  1796,  is  "for  a  neck  of  land  commonly  called 
and  known  by  the  name  of  Aresunk  Neck. "  This 
name  is  no  doubt  derived  from  that  of  the  Indian 
owner  of  the  neck.  John  Mayhue,  Indian,  in 
1680,  deeds  to  John  Townsend  of  Oyster  Bay,  "a 
sartain  small  neck  of  land  on  ye  west  side  of 
Watslioge  where  my  kinsman  Warishone  now 
liveth. "  The  last  word  is  varied  as  Worishun  in 
1680.  Areshunk  is  without  a  doubt  a  corrupted 
form  of  Warishone,  the  name  of  this  Indian,  which 
may  be  cognate  with  the  Delaware  (Zeisberger) 
wanessin,  "to  forget," — hence  "the  forgetter. " 

21.  ARHAKAAMUNK:  Crab  Meadow,  Hunting- 
ton  town.  The  variations  of  this  name  are  quite 
puzzling  and  misleading.  It  was  originally  named 
in  the  deed  of  1659,  for  a  tract  of  land,  now  partly 
in  Huntington  and  partly  in  Smithtown,  given  by 
Wiandance,  the  Sachem  of  Paumanack,  to  Lyon 
Gardiner,  for  his  services  in  rescuing  the  Sachem's 
captive  daughter  from  the  Narragansetts,  viz.: 
"We  say  it  lyeth  between  Huntington  and  Seatau- 
cut,  the  western  bounds  being  Cow  Harbor  easterly 
Acataamunt"  (Book  of  Deeds,  vol.  ii,  p.  118,  Office 


On  Long   Island  21 

of  the  Secy,  of  State,  Albany,  N.  Y.);  copy  of  the 
original  furnished  to  Mrs.  C.  C.  Gardiner  of  St. Louis 
by  the  Long  Island  Historical  Society,  "Easterly 
Arhataamunt" ;  Hon.  J.  Lawrence  Smith's  Notes 
on  Smithtown,  Munsell's  Hist.  S.  C.),  Acatamunk; 
Nassaconsett's  Deed  to  Richard  Smith  in  1665, 
Catawamuck;  Dongan's  Patent,  1685,  to  Judge 
Palmer  and  John  Roysee,  "called  Crab  Meadow, 
or  by  the  Indians  Katawamac. "  The  writer,  on  a 
recent  visit  to  the  rooms  of  the  Historical  Society, 
examined  the  original  very  carefully  and  found  the 
word  to  be  Ar  ha  t  a  a  munt.  It  denotes  a  place 
where  the  Indians  went  to  catch  crabs,  "a  crab 
fishing-place."  The  prefix  arhata  is  the  parallel 
of  the  Chippewa  (Baraga)  ajageshi  or  ashagashi; 
Cree  (Lacombe)  asdkew;  Algonquin  (Mackenzie) 
achakens,  acage  (Cuoq) ;  Delaware  (Zeisberger) 
schahamuis,  "craw-fish,"  "a  crab";  Virginian 
(Strachey)  ashaham,  "lobster."  The  root  means 
"they  go  back  and  forwards,  from  one  side  to  the 
other,  "as  in  Eliot  (Joelii.,  9),  ahaosukque,  "  to  and 
fro";  -amunk,  "a  fishing-place,"  from  the  insepa- 
rable generic  -amack.  The  English  name  is 
probably  from  the  same  circumstance.  See  the 
discussion  of  this  word  in  Algonquian  Series,  vol. 
vii.,  pp.  19-21. 

22.  ARRASQUAUG:  "a  brook  forming  part  of 
the  western  boundary  of  South  Oyster  Bay, 
Queen's  Co."  (De  Kay's  Indian  Names  on  L.  /.). 


22  Indian  Place-Names 

The  stream  is  now  known  as  "Minell's  Creek." 
This  name  is  found  in  the  Andros  Patent  of  1677, 
viz.:  "Then  along  the  sea-coast  westerly  to 
another  certain  river  called  Arrasquaung," 
(Thompson's  Long  Island,  vol.  i.,  p.  488).  See 
Passasqueung. 

23.  ARSHAMOMAQUE  :  hamlet  in  Southold  town, 
near   Greenport,   L.    I.     This  name   appears   as 
Harshamomogue,  1795.     SeeHashamomuk. 

24.  ASAWSUNCE:    a    swamp    in    Brookhaven 
town,  south  of  the  village  of  Yaphank.     The  name 
by  lapse  of  time  has  become  corrupted  to  Oosunk, 
and  it  appears  in  that  form  in  Bayles's  History  of 
Suffolk  County.     It  is  recorded  in  the  Indian  deed 
of  Yaphank  neck,  1688,  viz. :  "North  by  a  swompe 
called  Asawsunce"  and  again  in  1745  (B.  H.  R., 
vol.  i.,  pp.  71,  156).     Another  variation  is  Oosence, 
1808.     This  swamp  probably  derives  this  name 
from  Asawsunce  an  Indian  who  lived  at  the  swamp 
during  the  early  days  of  settlement.     Investiga- 
tion would  probably  reveal  some  token  of  his  so- 
journ.    Awoshonks  or  Awasuncks  appears  as  the 
appellation  of  a  swamp  in  Rhode   Island,  which 
takes  its  name  from  the  celebrated  squaw  Sachem 
of  Sogknoate  in  1671.     Sawseunck  an  Indian  signs 
the  agreement  with  Governor  Eaton  at  Quinny- 
piock  or  New  Haven,  in  1638  (N.  H.  Col.  R.,  vol. 
i.).     This  shows  parallel  personal  names. 


On  Long;  Island  23 

25.  ASHAMOMUCK:  Crab  Meadow,  Huntington 
town  (C.  C.  Gardiner,  Papers  and  Biography  of 
Lyon  Gardiner,  1883).     See  Arhakaamunk. 

26.  ASHAWAGH:  a  locality  at  Hand's  Creek, 
Three  Mile  Harbor,  East  Hampton  town.     Under 
date    of    January    2,  1666,  "John  Osburne  ex- 
changes     meadow      at      Ashshowale."      Again, 
September  14,  1705,  "Jeremiah  Miller  exchanges 
meadow  lying  at  a  place  called  Hand's  Creek,  to 
say  all  the  meadow  ground  adjoining  unto  the 
said  creek  and  Ashawagh  that  meadow  ground  at 
the  head  of  the  west  branch  of  the  said  creek  only 
excepted"  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  251 ;  vol.  iii.,  p.  138). 
The  land  about  Hand's  Creek  bears  evidences  of 
Indian  sojourners  in  time  past.     Every  sheltered 
valley  in  this  vicinity  facing  the  water  bears  a 
shell-heap.     On  the  northern  slope,  at  the  head  of 
Hand's  Creek,  between  the  branches  of  the  creek 
can   be   seen   the   proofs    of   Indian   habitations 
(shells,  arrow  points,  pottery  sherds,  etc.).     This 
aboriginal  village  covered  over  an  acre  of  ground. 
It  was  this  place  that  was  called  Ashwagh,  signi- 
fying  "a  place  between"    (the  branches  of  the 
creek).     Compare  Massachusetts  nashaue  (Eliot), 
"in    the    middle";    n'ashaw-auk,    "land    in    the 
middle."     The    same    name    occurs    in    various 
forms  throughout   New  England  and  on   Long 
Island,  Ashawog,  Assawog,  Nashaway,  etc.     See 
Assawanama. 


24  Indian  Place-Names 

27.  ASPATUCK:  a  creek  in  the  western  part 
of  Southampton  town,  between  Ketchaponack 
Neck  and  the  locality  formerly  called  "Little 
Assups  Neck,"  now  known  as  Quiogue.  "At  a 
town  meeting,  April  I,  1682,  it  was  agreed  that 
all  the  meadow  between  Quantuck  and  Aspatatuck 
shall  be  laid  out  in  proportions  according  to  pro- 
priety" (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  93).  This  is  the  first 
appearance  in  the  records.  Variations  are  Aspa- 
tatuck, 1682;  Aspatuck,  1686;  Assopatuck,  1738; 
Assapatuck,  1738;  Assopstauk,  1738;  Aspatuck, 
1792.  In  the  Brooklyn  Eagle  Almanac  (1888),  I 
gave  the  meaning  as  "the  high  place, "  considering 
it  the  same  as  Aspatock,  a  river  in  New  Milford, 
Conn.  The  name  which  means  "high  place," 
a  "height"  (ashpohtag,  Eliot),  was  transferred  to 
the  river  from  some  elevation  near  it — probably 
from  the  ridge  which  divides  its  branches  (Trum- 
bull's  Indian  Names  in  Conn.).  Wm.  S.  Pelle- 
treau,  in  his  paper,  Indian  Geographical  Names 
in  Suffolk  County,  derives  the  name  from  the 
same  source.  The  writer  now  doubts  this  deriva- 
tion, and  suggests  the  following  comparison, 
hashabp,  hashab  in  Eliot;  plural  ashappog  in  Cot- 
ton. This  word  is  used  by  Eliot  for  "flax," 
"tow,"  "a  fish-net,"  and  (Job  viii.,  14;  Is.  lix., 
5)  for  a  spider's  web.  It  may  have  been  primarily 
a  generic  name  for  vegetable  fibre  or  fibrous  mate- 
rial, specially  appropriated  to  the  Indian  hemp 
(Apocynum  cannabinum  Mich.),  thence  to  nets, 


On  Long  Island  25 

lines,  and  ropes  made  from  that  or  other  fibrous 
plants  (Trumbull,  Narragansett  Club,  vol.  i.). 
Roger  Williams  says:  "A shop,  their  nets,  which 
they  will  set  thwart  some  little  river  or  cove 
wherein  they  kill  basse  (at  the  fall  of  the  water) 
with  their  arrows,  or  sharp  sticks,  especially  if 
headed  with  iron,  gotten  from  the  English,  etc." 
From  this  our  word  Ashapo  'tuck  signifies  "fish-net 
cove,"  or  "creek."  Governor  Andros  in  1676 
gave  John  Cooper  permission  to  make  fishing- 
weirs  in  two  creeks,  one  of  which  was  Quaquantuck, 
to  the  east  of  this  creek. 

28.  ASSASQUAGE:  Great  Meadow  Creek,  near 
Jamesport,  Riverhead  town.  So  called  in  the 
Indian  deed  of  March  14,  1648,  for  the  tract  of 
land  "commonly  called  Ocquebauck,"  where  we 
read,  "provided  that  the  aforesaid  Indians,  may 
enjoy  during  their  lives,  a  small  peice  of  land,  to 
Plant  upon,  lying  between  the  two  creeks,  Mia- 
megg,  and  Assasquage. "  (Book  of  Deeds,  vol.  ii.,  p. 
210,  Office  of  the  Secy,  of  State,  Albany,  N.  Y.) 
The  name  occurs  also  as  Assasquog.  This  creek 
takes  its  name  from  the  meadow  through  which 
it  flows.  Assasquage  or  Assasquog  (  =  Mass-asqu- 
ogue)  means  "great  grass  place  or  great  marshy 
place,"  hence  "a  great  meadow,"  as  named  in 
the  Indian  deed.  See  the  discussion  of  the  word 
Missisquoi,  which  probably  has  a  like  signification, 
in  Dr.  Geo.  M.  McAleer's  A  Study  of  the  Ely- 


26  Indian  Place-Names 

mology  of  the  Indian  Place- Name  Missisquoi," 
(Worcester,  Mass.,  1906).  The  word  Massas- 
quogue  is  composed  of  mass,  "great;"  asqu, 
"grass;"  -oque  (-oke),  "place." 

29.  ASSAWANAMA:    A    pond    in    Huntington 
town.     Records  show  that  on  July  30, 1 705,  Corne- 
lis  Van  Texall  and  others  petition  for  a  tract  of 
land  in  the  County  of  Suffolk,  near  the  town  of 
Huntington,   "called   by  the  natives  Anendesak, 
in  English  Eader   Necks  Beach,  along  the  sound 
four  miles,   unto  the  fresh  pond  called  by  the 
natives  Assawanama  where  a  creek  runs  into  the 
sound  and  from  the  sound  running  into  the  woods 
six  miles  or  thereabouts."     (Cal.  of  Land  Papers 
in  Office  of  Secretary  of  State,  p.  79.)     This  is 
probably   the   same  pond,   called   in   the  earlier 
records    Unchemau    or    Unshemamuck,    and    the 
above,  possibly  a  corruption  of  the  same;  but  the 
present  form  makes  it  a  different  word  entirely. 
The  components  of  the  name  are  assawa  =  nashaue 
(Eliot),  "in  the  middle,"  "between,"  "midway," 
"place  between,"  etc.;  -ama  =  -amaug  or  -amack, 
"a    fishing-place";    Assawanama    thus    signifies 
"the    midway    fishing-place,"    or    "fishing-place 
between  (the  forks,  or  on  the  forks,  of  a  river, 
creek,  etc.)."     See  Ashawagh. 

30.  ASSUPS:  name   applied   to   two   necks   of 
land  in  the  western  part  of  Southampton  town. 
The  one  east  of  Aspatuck  Creek  being  known  as 


On  Long  Island  27 

"Little  Assups, "  while  the  one  east  of  Quantuck 
Creek  was  known  as  "Assups. "  We  find  it  first 
noted,  May  29,  1673,  viz.:  "Whereas  those  men 
.  .  .  have  .  .  .  laid  out  ye  homeward  neck  of 
meadow  at  and  about  Quaguanantuck,  viz.  from 
the  west  side  of  ye  neck  comonly  called  Assops 
neck  unto  a  short  creek  at  ye  bottom  of  ...  the 
4th  neck. "  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  252.)  Variations 
are  Assops,  1673;  Assups,  1686;  Assoops,  1738; 
Assup,  1734.  In  the  study  of  this  name  several 
reasons  may  be  brought  forward  to  show  its  prob- 
able origin  and  signification.  From  the  mark  of 
the  possessive,  it  might  have  been  derived  from 
Assup,  an  Indian,  whose  name  may  be  the  equi- 
valent of  the  Narragansett  (Williams)  Ausup,  "the 
raccoon. "  This  seems  to  be  proven  by  the  records 
(1686):  "  Assup' s  Little  neck,  the  bounds  of  the 
upland  thereof  laid  out  by  us  is  on  the  west  side 
of  a  small  pine  tree."  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  113.) 
Wm.  S.  Pelletreau,  in  his  Indian  Names  in  Suffolk 
County,  derives  the  name  from  Assopstauk  (as 
he  finds  it  in  the  early  records),  "fish-net  place." 
That  form  belongs  to  Aspatuck  Creek,  no  other 
form  of  Assups  appearing  but  that  given  above. 
Trumbull's  Indian  Names  in  Connecticut  gives: 
" Ahyosupsuck  (Mohegan):  the  outlet  of  a  pond 
now  called  Wyassup,  also  called  Asupsuck,  may 
have  come  from  the  Massachusetts  .and  Narra- 
gansett ashap,  hashap,  wild  hemp,  flax,  or  other 
vegetable  fibre  used  for  making  nets. " 


28  Indian  Place-Names 

31.  ATHSCAR:  a  small  stream  in  Islip  town. 
It  rises  in  a  locality  called  the  Deer  Swamp  and 
flows  into  the  Orawoc  Brook.     It  is  traditional; 
no  early  forms  are  to  be  found.     The  name  is 
probably  much  corrupted  and  may  possibly  even 
be  an  error  for  Awixa.     See  Awixa. 

32.  AWIXA  :  a  small  stream  of  water  in  the 
town  of  Islip  near  Bay  Shore,  between  Penataquit 
Creek  and  Orawac  Brook.     The  neck  on  the  west 
was  once  known  by  the  same  title.     The  earliest 
mention  is  in  the  Mowbray  Indian  deed,  dated 
May  30,    1701:   "It   consisted   of  two   necks  of 
land  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  brook  Aweeksa. 
The  Mowbray  homestead  was  on  Aweeksa  Neck, 
near  the  brook,  which  is  now  regarded  as  the 
boundary  line  between  the  villages  of  Bay  Shore 
and  Islip."     (Munsell's  Hist.  Suffolk  Co.)     Mod- 
ernly  the  name  appears   as  Awixa.     The  word 
Aweeksa  corresponds  to  the  Massachusetts  (Eliot) 
weeqsha,    weeqshau,    wehqshi,    or    weehqshik,    "it 
extends  to,"  "goes  as  far  as,"  "is  the  end,"  or 
"limit,"   as  in  Eliot's  Bible   (2   Chron.  xx.,  16) 
wehqshik  sepueses,'  "end  of  the  brook."     It  was 
frequently  used,  in  its  various  changes,  as  a  bound 
mark,  and  appears  in  the  above  deed  of   1701, 
as  the  eastern  limit  of  the  above  tract  of  land — 
the  Indians  having  sold  "as  far  as"  this  brook 
Aweeksa.    A  brook  in  Connecticut,  being  the  east 
bound  of  the  territory  claimed  by  the  Pequots, 


On  Long  Island  29 

was  called  Weexcodowa  from  the  equivalent  term 
in  Pequot-Mohegan  (Trumbull's  Indian  Names  in 
Connecticut) . 

33.  BASSALONA:  high  sandy  bluffs  at  Russell's 
Neck,  near  Sag  Harbor.     On  the  maps  Barcelona. 
The  name  is  traditional  and  frequently  pronounced 
as  above.     It  does  not  appear  in  the  early  records. 
A  hill  of  similar  appellation  appears  in  Chepachet, 
R,   I.,   as   "Absalona."     If  of  Indian  origin,   its 
meaning  has  not  been  ascertained.     It  has  been 
suggested  by  an  old  sea  captain  that  the  name  was 
taken  from  the  city  of  Barcelona  in  Spain, — the 
bluffs  resembling  those  at  that  city.     If  this  be 
true,  the  word  is  not  Indian. 

34.  BONDYQUOGUE.     See  Ponquogue. 

35.  BOSTWICKS:  a  harbor  and  creek  on  Gardi- 
ner's Island.     Probably  not  Indian,  but  the  name 
of  a  man  who  once  had  charge  of  the  Island  as  an 
overseer.     Sometimes  varied  as  Bostick  and  Bostic. 
It  seems  that  John  Lyon  Gardiner,  the  seventh 
proprietor  of  the  Island,  did  not  know  the  origin 
of  this  name,  for  in  an  old  memorandum  book, 
under  date  of  1798,  he  notes  a  number  of  Indian 
place-names  of  which  he  is  to  ask  the  meaning  from 
the  surviving  Montauks.     Among  these  appears 
Bostic. 

36.  CACHINNCAK:  a  brook  in  the  town  of  Islip, 


3O  Indian.  Place-Names 

now  called  the  Orawac.  It  is  mentioned  in  the 
settlement  of  a  controversy  between  Anning  Mow- 
bray  and  Wm.  Nicoll,  Oct.  31,  1794,  viz.:  "deter- 
mined the  head  of  said  River  to  be  at  a  certain 
maple  tree  standing  about  one  rod  north  of  where 
an  old  road  crosses  the  head  of  sd  brook  or  River 
and  from  thence  west  and  by  south  until  the 
head  of  Cachinncak  River  bears  south."  (Copy 
by  O.  B.  Ackerly,  Esq.)  This  name  bestowed  by 
the  whites  on  the  brook,  according  to  the  above 
settlement,  did  not  belong  there  originally;  but 
was  a  boundary  mark  of  the  original  tract  at  the 
head  of  the  river.  The  mark  may  have  been  the 
above  "maple  tree,"  a  pile  of  stones,  or  a  stake, 
and  simply  designated  "the  place  of  beginning." 
The  name  Cachinnc-ak,  corresponds  to  the  Massa- 
chusetts (Eliot)  kutchinnik,  kitchinnik  (Cotton), 
"the  beginning,"  with  the  addition  of  a  locative 
termination  -ak,  "place."  See  Cagoqunk  and 
Kitchaminchok. 

37.  CAGOQUNK,  Cagaqunk:  creek  in  Islip  town, 
now  called  Awixa  Brook.  In  the  Indian  deed  to 
John  Mowbray,  May  30,  1701 ,  for  Aweeksa  Neck,  it 
"was  bounded  west  by  Watchague  running  North- 
ward from  the  heads  of  Cagaqunk  and  Penata- 
quitt  Rivers  to  the  bounds  between  the  North 
and  South  Indians."  Also  appears  as  Cagoqunk. 
(Copy  from  O.  B.  Ackerly,  Esq.,  N.  Y.)  This 
name  did  not  originally  belong  to  the  brook,  but 


On  Long;  Island  31 

simply  described  the  extent  of  the  grant  to  John 
Mowbray,  as  given  by  the  Indians  to  the  inter- 
preter, and  misunderstood  probably,  as  the  name 
of  the  stream  by  the  person  who  drew  the  deed, 
it  being  stated  and  understood  that  the  Indians 
had  conveyed  all  the  land  that  they  owned  between 
those  rivers,  up  to  the  boundary  line  between  the 
north  and  south.  Cagoqunk  denotes  "the  whole 
width  (to  the  river), "  "as  wide  as  (to  the  river). " 
It  parallels  the  Delaware  (Zeisberger)  elgigunk, 
"as  big,"  "as  wide";  elgigunk-haki  "as  big  and 
wide  as  the  earth  is";  and  Chippewa  (Baraga) 
enigokwag-aki,  "as  wide  as  the  earth  is."  See 
Cachinncak. 

38.  CANAPAUKAH:  the  north  branch  of  New- 
town    Creek    at    Long   Island  City.     Sometimes 
known  as  the  "Dutch  Kills."     Mentioned  in  the 
Indian  deed  of  July  9,  1666,  as  being:  "A  small 
creek  called  by  the  Indians  Canapaukah,  where 
Burger's  mill  stands."     (Riker's  Annals  of  New- 
town  ,  p.  72.)     An  abbreviation  of  the  word  seen 
in     Narragansett     wau-kaunopauk-ut,     "at     the 
fenced  water-place."   No   doubt   referring  to  the 
mill-dam   (from  wau-kaunosint,   "fence";  -pauk, 
"water-place";  -ut,  "at"). 

39.  CANARSIE:  a  village  at  Flatlands,  King's 
Co.     This  part  of  Long  Island  was  settled  by  the 
Dutch   very   early;  in    fact    New   Amersfort   or 


32  Indian  Place-Names 

Flatlands  is  now  acknowledged  to  have  been  the 
first  white  settlement  on  Long  Island.  The  local- 
ity was  the  headquarters  of  the  tribe  known  as 
the  Canarsies.  The  earliest  appearance  of  the 
name  is  dated  January  21,  1647,  viz:  "We  Wil- 
lem  Kieft — have  given  and  granted  to  George 
Baxter  and  Richard  Clof,  with  their  associates  a 
certain  tract  of  land  situate  on  the  south  side  of 
Long  Island  called  Canarsie  with  all  the  meadows 
belonging."  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  61.) 
Variations  are:  Connarie  See  (Jamaica  Bay),  1606; 
Conor  asset,  1656;  "Piece  of  meadow  land  near  the 
Canarisse,"  1661 ;  Canary ssen,  1666;  Canause,  1666; 
Canarisea,  1680;  Kanarsingh,  1719.  This  name  is 
an  abbreviation,  and  as  is  frequently  the  case 
where  the  word  has  been  a  long  time  in  use,  it  has 
been  softened.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  English 
form  Conor  as  set  differs  from  the  Dutch,  although 
the  pronunciation  is  about  the  same.  It  may  be 
considered  as  the  parallel  of  the  Narragansett 
Wau-kaunosint;  Massachusetts  (Eliot)  Won-kon- 
®sin,  (Cotton)  Wo-kons>sin;  Abnaki  (Rasle)  ®d- 
kaur<S)zen;  Micmac  (Rand)  W6-kaloosdn,  "a 
fence,"  "fort,"  "hedge,"  etc.  With  the  locative 
-ing  or  -es-et  it  means  "at  or  about  the  fence  or 
fort";  in  fact,  "the  fenced  place"  is  the  significa- 
tion of  Canarsie.  We  cannot  state  positively  at 
this  late  date  whether  the  name  belonged  originally 
to  the  "fenced  village"  of  the  tribe  or  to  the  whole 
territory,  as  it  was  afterwards  applied  by  both 


On  Long  Island  33 

the  Dutch  and  English.  The  Dutch  manured 
and  planted  the  lands  here  many  years  with  con- 
sent of  the  Indians  before  any  purchase  was  made, 
as  stated  in  the  Nicoll  patent  of  1667.  Conse- 
quently the  lands  were  more  or  less  fenced  in,  both 
that  of  the  Dutch  and  also  that  planted  by  the 
natives.  This  is  reiterated  in  the  Indian  deed  of 
April  1 6,  1665,  when:  "Wametappack,  Sachem 
of  Canryssen  and  (others  named)  lawful  owners  of 
Canaryssen  and  the  appendages  thereunto  apper- 
taining— sold  to  the  inhabitants  of  New  Amers- 
foort — a  parcel  of  land — with  conditions  that  the 
purchasers  once  for  always  a  fence  shall  set  at  Can- 
arissen  for  the  protection  of  the  Indians'  cultiva- 
tion, which  fence  shall  thereafter  by  the  Indians 
be  maintained  and  the  land  which  becomes  inclosed 
in  fence  shall  by  the  Indian  owners  above  men- 
tioned all  their  lives  be  used."  (Stiles's  Hist. 
King's  Co.,  p.  71.)  From  this  and  the  fact  that 
their  village  was  called  Keskaechquerem  I  incline  to 
the  belief  that  the  name  belongs  to  all  the  territory 
that  was  fenced,  until  at  last  there  was  nothing 
left  to  the  Indians  but  the  small  portion  fenced  in 
at  the  present  Canarsie.  See  Conorasset. 

40.  CANTASQUNTAH  :  a  brook  in  the  town  and 
village  of  Islip,  sometimes  called  the  "Widow's 
Brook."  This  name  is  recorded  in  the  Indian 
deed  from  the  Sachem  Winnequaheagh  to  William 
Nicoll,  Nov.  29,  1683,  viz.: — "all  that  tract  of 


34  Indian  Place-Names 

land  .  .  .  bounded  on  the  east  by  a  certain  river 
called  Conetquot,  on  the  south  by  the  sound  (bay) , 
on  the  west  by  a  certain  river  called  Cantasquntah, 
on  the  north  by  a  right  line  from  the  head  of  the 
said  river  called  Conetquot  to  the  head  of  the  said 
river  called  Cantasquntah. "  (Thompson's  L.  I., 
vol.  i.,  p.  444.)  The  name  appears  also  as  Cantas- 
quntha.  (Munsell's  Hist.  S.  C.,  Islip.)  This  name 
denotes  "a  place  where  the  great  reeds  or  rushes 
grow."  Cant-asqunt-ah  corresponds  to  Massachu- 
setts keht-asquet-auke,  "great  reed  place."  It  is 
"the  principal  place  of  reeds"  in  that  vicin- 
ity. The  components  of  the  word  are  keht-, 
"great,"  "chief";  asquet  or  askket,  "reed";  -auke, 
"place." 

41.  CANTIAQUE,  Cantiagge:  point  of  trees  on 
the  bounds  between  the  towns  of  Hempstead  and 
Oyster  Bay.  This  bound-mark  appears  in  the 
first  conveyance  for  land  by  the  Indians  in  1653, 
viz.:  "and  bounded  near  southerly  by  a  point  of 
trees  called  Cantiaque"  (Thompson's  L.  I.,  vol.  i., 
p.  485);  Andros  Patent,  1677:  "  from  thence  west- 
erly along  the  middle  of  said  plains  till  it  bears 
south  from  the  said  Robert  Williams  marked  tree 
at  a  point  of  trees  called  Cantiaque"  (Thompson's 
L.  /.,  vol.  i.,  p.  489);  Dongan's  Patent  for  Hemp- 
stead,  1685:  "and  from  thence  up  a  direct  line 
till  it  comes  to  a  marked  tree  on  the  east  side  of 
Cantiagge  Point"  (Thompson's  L.  /.,  vol.  ii.,  p. 


On  Long  Island  35 

15).  This  name  designates  ' '  where  trees  are  being 
blazed."  The  same  radical  is  found  in  the  Dela- 
ware (Zeisberger)  gischhaque,  "to  cut  with  an 
axe";  Chippewa  (Baraga)  MshMgaige,  "I  chop 
wood";  kikaige,  "I  make  marks  on  the  road,  set- 
ting up  branches,  etc.";  nintchigandaweige,  "I  cut 
off  branches";  Micmac  (Rand)  kdktaaga,  "to  chop 
all."  (For  Robert  Williams's  marked  tree  see 
Kiscasutta.}  The  name  of  the  chief  of  the  Hacken- 
sack  tribe,  called  Cantaqua  (Nelson's  Ind.  of  N.  J., 
1894,  P-  J32)  maY  De  a  related  word.  After  him 
Cantaqua 's  Creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Hackensack 
River  was  named. 

42.  CASTATEUM,  Cashuteyie:  meadows  near 
Flatlands,  King's  Co.  Nine  Indians  (named)  by 
deed  dated  June  16,  1626,  convey  to  Jacobus  Van 
Corlaer  the  following:  "the  middlemost  of  three 
flats  belonging  to  them  called  Castuteeuw  situate 
on  the  Island  called  by  them  Sewanhacky";  same 
date:  "the  westermost  of  the  flats  called  Kesta- 
teuw;"  July  16,  1636:  "eastermost  of  the  three 
flats  called  Casteteuw"  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv., 
p.  3).  Variations  are  Cashuteyie,  1638;  Castateum, 
(De  Kay).  Furman  (Antiq.  of  L.  I.,  p.  180)  gives 
the  "westermost  flat"  as  Kaskutensuken.  This 
name  simply  designated  the  tract  of  salt  meadows 
which  both  the  Dutch  and  English  in  the  early 
days  valued  more,  for  the  grass  they  produced, 
than  they  did  the  bordering  upland.  The  word 


36  Indian  Place-Names 

Kestateuw,  Casteteuw=Kes-asketu,  "where  grass  is 
cut  or  mowed." 

43.  CATACONNOCK:    Great  Neck  near  Setau- 
ket,  Brookhaven  town,  supposed  to  be  the  neck 
of  land  now  known  as  "Old  Fields."     We  find  it 
as  follows:    "  This  writing  witnesseth  that  Wyan- 
dance,  Sagamore  of  Long  Island,  doe  promise  to 
sell  the  Great  neck,  to  the  Inhabitants  of  Setaul- 
cott.     Memorandum:  "The    name  of  the  neck 
aboves'd  is  Cataconnocke,  March  8,  1866."      (B. 
H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  1 6.)     Thompson  (L.  I.,  vol.  i., 
p.  431)  has  Cometico.     Cata-  is  a  form  of  kehti, 
kehte,  or  keit,  as  Eliot  writes  it,  varied  by  other 
writers  as  cot,  cat,  cata,  etc.,  signifying   "chief," 
"principal,"  "great,"  etc.;  -connock  corresponds 
to  the  Massachusetts  komuk,  "an  enclosed  place." 
' '  The  enclosed  place ' '  might  have  been  a  palisadoed 
village  of  the  Indians,  where  the  chief  resided,  or  a 
"place,"  "land,"  "a  field,"  limited  not  extended, 
shut  in  by  water  or  otherwise.     In  fact  it  might 
apply  to  a  "neck  of  land"  making  the  word  the 
equivalent  of  the  English  "Great  Neck."     See 
Cometico. 

44.  CATAWAMUCK:  Crab  Meadow,  Huntington 
town.     See  Arhakaamunk. 

45.  CATCHAPONACK:  see  Ketchaponack. 

46.  CATSJEYICK  :  Dutch  notation  for  Curchaug, 


On  Long  Island  37 

Southold.  This  form  of  Curchaug  is  found  in  the 
Dutch  Archives,  first  in  a  treaty  dated  May  29, 
1645,  when  "  Wittaneymen,  Sachem  of  Shinne- 
cock,  appears  before  the  council  declaring  to  be 
impowered  by  his  brethren,  naming  among  others 
Mamawichtouw  (Momoweta) ,  Sachem  of  Cats- 
jeyick,"  and  again  in  1647:  "when  deputies  from 
Hemsteade  report  that  the  chief  of  Catsjaock  and 
his  brethren  at  the  east  end  of  Long  Island  had 
agreed  with  other  Indians  to  kill  the  English  at 
Heemsteede.  It  was  then  agreed  to  send  Secre- 
tary Van  Tienhoven  who  understands  the  Indian 
language  to  the  east  end  of  the  Island  in  a  sloop  to 
enquire  of  the  chief,  whether  the  above  report  be 
true  or  not.  It  is  also  resolved  to  present  the 
Chief  of  Catsjajock  and  his  brethren  with  three 
cloth  coats  and  some  trifles  in  the  name  of  the 
Honble  company."  See  Cutchogue. 

47.  CATUMB:  reef  of  rocks  at  the  east  end  of 
Fisher's  Island,  Long  Island  Sound  (U.  S.  Coast 
Survey  Map).     See  Ketumpscut. 

48.  CAUMSETT:    Lloyd's    Neck,    Huntington 
town.     This  name  is  found  recorded  in  the  Indian 
deed  of  Sept.  20,  1654:   "This  writing  witnesseth 
that  I  Ratiocan  Sagamore  of  Cow  Harbor,  have 
sold  unto  Samuel  Mayo,  Daniel  Whitehead  and 
Peter  Wright  my  neck  of  land  which  makes  the 
east  side  of  Oyster  Bay,  and  the  west  side  of  Cow 


38  Indian  Place-Names 

Harbor  on  the  north  side  bounded  with  the  sound, 
called  by  the  Indians  Caumsett  (H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p. 
4).  This  name  signifies  "at,  about,  or  in  the 
neighborhood  of  a  sharp  rock,"  from  the  words 
seen  in  Narragansett  (R.  Williams)  cau  "sharp," 
ompsk  orm's  "a  rock,"  cduompsk,  "a  whetstone" 
or  a  "rock  suitable  for  sharpening";  and  Massa- 
chusetts (Eliot)  koiompsk,"  "  sharp  rock. "  With 
the  diminutive  form  of  the  locative  the  name  is 
Cau-omps-es-et.  On  this  neck  probably  still  re- 
mains a  rock  of  gritty  nature,  to  which  the  Indians 
came  in  order  to  sharpen  their  stone  implements, 
or  it  may  have  been  simply  a  sharp  pointed  rock. 
"Boulders  of  granular  white  limestone  occur  on 
Lloyd's  Neck"  (Thompson's  L.  /.,  vol.  i.,  p.  59). 

49.  CAUS  CUNG  QUARAM  :  neck  of  land  in  the 
town  of  Babylon.     See  Guscomquorum. 

50.  CAUSHAWASHA:    A  swamp  on  Hashamo- 
muk  Neck,  Southold  town.     One  of  the  bounds 
of  the  neck  referred  to  in  1 66 1,  viz.:  "The  utter- 
most part  of  the  said  Land  beginninge  from  the 
northeast  at  a  pond  called  by  the  Minnapaugs, 
so  to  a  greate  swampe  called  in  the  Indean  tounge 
Caushawasha  by  the  east  side  of  Dismal  to  a 
certain  creek  the  Indeans  call  Paugetuck  on  the 
south  side"  (S.  R.,vol.  i.,  p.  210);  again  in  1686: 
"to  run  from  sd  black  oake  to  a  white  oak  att  a 
swamp  as  they  call  Causawashowy"  (S.  R.,  vol.  ii., 


On  Long  Island  39 

p.  277).  Caushawsha  corresponds  to  the  Narra- 
gansett  (R.  Williams)  cutshausha;  Massachusetts 
(Eliot)  kutshaumune,  "the  lightning."  It  was 
probably  the  name  of  an  Indian  who  located  his 
wigwam  and  corn  fields  near  the  swamp.  Personal 
names  were  frequently  given  to  swamps  where 
the  Indians  lived  by  the  English  settlers.  These 
being  favorite  abiding  places  of  the  natives  on 
account  of  the  living  springs,  running  brooks,  and 
their  sheltered  positions.  Nearly  every  one  in  the 
vicinity  of  Sag  Harbor  has  on  its  northerly  side 
a  shell-deposit  showing  aboriginal  sojourners  in 
time  past. 

51.  CHEBIAKINNAUSUK,  Chabiakinnauhsuk:  a 
locality  in  the  "North  Neck,"  Montauk.  One  of 
the  bounds  of  the  Wuchebesuck  purchase,  men- 
tioned in  the  Indian  deed  of  1670,  viz.:  "so  on 
a  straight  line  to  Chebiakinnausuck"  (Hedges' 
Address,  1849).  Ranger's  Deeds,  1840,  has  Cha- 
biakinnauhsuk. This  bound-mark  was  located  at  a 
long  brook — one  of  the  many  outlets  of  the  swamps 
that  dot  this  section ;  but  the  name  probably  does 
not  refer  to  the  brook  itself,  as  the  writer  once  sup- 
posed from  its  terminal  affix.  (See  Names  in  East 
Hampton,  E.  H.  R.,  vol.  iv.)  The  prefix  chebia- 
or  chabia-  in  this  compound  name  is  an  equiva- 
lent for  the  Massachusetts  (Eliot)  chabenuk, 
"that  which  divides  or  separates,"  "a  bound- 
mark;"  as  in  Job  xxxviii.,  25,  Howan  chachaubenuk 


40  Indian  Place-Names 

nippee  poohsem  ut,  "who  hath  divided  the  water 
course. "  The  second  part  corresponds  to  kinnau- 
suk,  the  Massachusetts  (Eliot)  kuhkinneausuk  "you 
mark,"  kuhkinneasu,  "he  marketh."  Chabia- 
kinnausuk  thus  signifies  the  marked  separation, 
"where  he  marketh  bounds, "  "  a  boundary  place," 
"a  bound-mark." 

52.  CHECKACHAGIN  :  a  brook  in  the  town  of 
Oyster  Bay,  Queen's  Co.,  flowing  northeasterly 
into  Beaver  Swamp  Creek.     Two  of  the  variants 
from  the  records  of  the  town  are  Chaugren,  Cho- 
gorin.     Geo.  W.  Cocks,  Esq.,  of  Glen  Cove,   in- 
forms me  that  he  remembers  it  as  a  boy  fifty  years 
ago,  colloquially,  as  "  C  hoggin. "     The  name  is  a 
personal  one  from  one  of  the  chiefs,  "  Chechagon 
alias  Quaropin,"  mentioned  in  an  Indian  deed  of 
January  9,  1683.     (Thompson's  L.  I.,  vol.  i.,  p. 
489.) 

53.  CHEQUIT:  a  name  formerly  given  to  the 
point  of  land  on  Shelter  Island  where  the  S.  I. 
Heights  Ass'n  have  erected  a  hotel  and  many 
cottages,    now    called    Prospect.     The    name    is 
derived  from  a  fish  that  is  caught  in  the  waters  in 
the  spring,  called  by  the  whites  after  the  name 
Cheguit  or  Chickwick;  in  other  parts  of  the  Country 
it  is  sometimes  called  Squeteage,  Suchermaug,  and 
Shecutts,  by  the  English  "weak-fish."     According 
to  W.  R.  Gerard  (in  Handb.  of  Amer.  Inds.  N.  of 


On  Long  Island  41 

Mexico,  vol.  i.  p.  316),  squeteague  is  a  corruption 
of  the  Narragansett  pesakweteauag,  "they  make 
glue,"  in  reference  to  the  use  of  the  "sounds"  of 
the  fish  by  the  Indians  for  making  a  glutinous  sub- 
stance. It  is  doubtful  whether  chequit  is,  as  some 
have  thought,  a  corruption  of  squeteague.  (A.F.C.) 

54.  CHOCOMOUNT:  "a  hill  on  Fisher's  Island, 
Coast  Survey  Map,  not  Indian,  or,  unless  much 
corrupted,  of  Indian  origin"  (Trumbull's  Indian 
Names  in  Connecticut}. 

55.  CHOGGIN:  a  brook  in  Oyster  Bay  town, 
Queen's  Co.     See  Checkachagin. 

56.  CHOPPAUHSHAPAUGAUSUCK:  a  locality  on 
Montauk  being  the  ditch  (so-called)  or  the  outlet  of 
the  Great  Pond  on  the  south,  from  which  "Ditch 
Plain"  derives  its  name  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  206). 
This  boundary  place  is  mentioned  in  the  deed  of 
1670  (sometimes  called  the  nine-score  acre  pur- 
chase, or  land  between  the  ponds),  viz.:  "and  so 
along  to  the  sea-side  to  a  place  called  Choppauh- 
shapaugausuck"    (Hedges'    Address,    1849),    Cop- 
pauhshapaugausuk  (Ranger's  Deeds,  1850).     The 
first  three  syllables,  chop-pauhsha,  are  the  equivalent 
of  the  Massachusetts  chippachaug,  "a  separated 
place,"  "apart  separated,"  from  chippai  (Eliot), 
"a  part,"   or   "portion"    (as  in  Ezekiel  xlv.,  I, 
chippai  ohke,  "portion  of  land;"  Leviticus  xvi.,  22, 


42  Indian  Place-Names 

chip  ohkeit,  "land  uninhabited,"  "land  apart"); 
pausha  corresponds  to  paushinum  (Eliot)  "he  di- 
vided or  separated. "  (Ps.  Ixxviii.,  13.)  The  third 
part  represents  paugaus  (Eliot),  "to  widen,"  "to 
operate;"  the  terminal  affix  -suck,  "an  outlet,"  or 
"a  small  stream  flowing  out  of  a  pond,"  "a 
brook."  Altogether  we  thus  have  Chop-pausha- 
paugau-suck,  which  therefore  means  "the  place  of 
separation  where  the  brook  opens  out."  See 
Chebiakinnausuk . 

57.  COBB  :  a  farming  district  at  Southampton, 
L.  I.  We  find  this  name  first  recorded  in  1652, 
when:  "It  was  granted  by  the  towne  unto  Mr. 
Henry  Eason,  that  he  should  have  to  the  quantity 
of  three  acres  any  parcell  of  land  hee  shall  find 
fitt  for  his  use  near  unto  Mr.  Odell  his  4  acres  in 
Cobs  pound"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  86).  For  fifty 
years  the  locality  is  so  designated,  afterward  it  be- 
comes simply  Cobb,  and  as  such  was  handed  down 
to  the  present  day.  The  reasons  that  gave  rise  to 
the  name  have  been  forgotten  for  generations, 
although  the  oldest  inhabitant  and  common  con- 
sent derive  it  from  aboriginal  sources.  In  an 
article  in  the  Sag  Harbor  Express,  March  n,  1888, 
the  writer  suggested  its  origin  from  the  material 
of  which  the  pound  may  have  been  built,  viz. : 
Cob  "clay"  mixed  with  straw  for  walls,  etc. 
(Webster).  Mr.  Geo.  R.  Howell,  of  the  N.  Y. 
State  Library,  Albany,  suggests  its  derivation 


On  Long  Island  43 

from  Cob,  an  Indian,  who  may  have  been  the 
pound-keeper;  hence  "Cob's  pound."  This  sug- 
gestion may  be  a  correct  one,  but  it  is  possible 
that  Cob  might  be  the  name  of  a  negro  as  well. 
A  "Moses'  pound"  is  mentioned  in  the  Hunting- 
ton  Records,  and  a  "Chestnut  pound"  in  the 
Brookhaven  Records,  thus  showing  a  personal 
and  a  material  derivation.  I  doubt  the  aboriginal 
origin. 

58.  COCHIMINCHOAKE,    Chikemenckoake:    Mo- 
riches Island.      Mentioned  in  a  law  suit  between 
John  Cooper,  plaintiff,  and  John  Ogden,  defend- 
ant, held  at  New  York,  Oct.  30-31,  Nov.  1-2-4, 
1667,  in  regard  to  whales  cast  up  on  the  beach. 
See  Kitchaminchok. 

59.  COCKENOE'S  Island:  off  Westport,  Conn., 
near  the  mouth  of  Saugatuck  River;  so-called 
from  its  Indian  proprietor,  Cockeno,  Cockenow,  or 
Chachaneu.     In  the  deed  to  the  proprietors  of 
Norwalk,  1652,  he  is  called  "Cockenow  de  Long 
Island"  (Hall's  Norwalk,  p.  35),  and  this  seems 
to  identify  him  with   "  Chekanoe,   an   Indian  of 
Menhansick  [Shelter]  Island,  named  in  Col.  Rec., 
iii.,  476  (Trumbull's  Indian  Names  in  Connecti- 
cut, p.  li).      Probably  he  was  the  Indian  called 
by  the  Montauk  Sachem  "my  agent  Chockanoe 
or  Checkenow. "     He  seemed  to  have  acted  as  inter- 
preter and  laid  out  the  bounds  of  many  of  the 


44  Indian  Place-Names 

early  purchases  on  Long  Island  from  the  Indians 
(H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  17).  This  name,  Cheekanoo, 
Cockenoe,  Chickino,  Chekkonnow,  or  Cockoo — no 
matter  how  varied  in  the  records  of  Long  Island 
and  elsewhere,  for  every  Town  Clerk  or  Recorder, 
with  but  a  limited  or  no  knowledge  of  the  Indian 
tongue  and  its  true  sounds,  wrote  down  the  name 
as  it  suited  him,  and  seldom  twice  alike  even  on 
the  same  page, — finds  its  parallel  in  the  Massa- 
chusetts of  both  Eliot  and  Cotton,  in  the  verb 
kuhkinneau,  or  kehkinnoo,  "he  marks,  observes, 
takes  knowledge,  instructs,  or  imitates";  hence, 
"he  interprets,"  and  therefore  indicating,  by  a 
free  translation,  "an  interpreter  or  teacher";  this 
word  in  its  primitive  form  occurs  in  all  dialects  of 
the  same  linguistic  family  (that  is,  the  Algonkian) 
in  an  infinite  number  of  compounds,  denoting 
"a  scholar ;  teacher ;  a  thing  signified ;  I  say  what  he 
says  i.e.,  repeat  after  him,  etc."  See  my  Cocke- 
noe de  Long  Island  (N.  Y.,  1896)  for  a  full  his- 
tory of  this  Indian. 

60.  COEKWAS:  creek  on  Rockaway  Neck, 
Hempstead  town.  According  to  the  records  of 
March  2,  1682:  " Enamant  and  Mongowack, 
Indians  of  Recowack  petition  that  their  gift  to  Jan 
(John)  Hansen  and  others  of  a  neck  of  land,  in  the 
north  west  point  of  Racowack,  beginning  at  a 
certain  creek  called  Coekwas,  running  thence  south 
by  west  to  another  kill  (or  creek)  called  Hapax 


On  Long  Island  45 

be  confirmed"    (Cal.  of  Land  Papers   in  Office 
of  the  Sec'y  of  State,  p.  25).     See  Copwax. 

61.  COMAC,  Comack:  "  formerly  called  Winne- 
Comack,  is  a  pleasant  cross-road  village  situated 
in  the  eastern  part  of  Huntington  town  on  the 
middle  country  road  of  Smithtown  turnpike,  and 
partly  within  the  bounds  of  Smithtown.     It  is  an 
ancient  settlement,  and  is  located  in  the  midst 
of   a   rich   agricultural   district.     The   surface   is 
level,  or  slightly  rolling  and  the  soil  heavy  and 
nearly  every  acre  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation" 
(Bayles's  Sketches  of  Suffolk  Co.).     See  Winne- 
comack. 

62.  COMETICO:  the  Indian  name  of  Old  Field's 
Point,  Brookhaven  town  (De  Kay).      This  was 
probably  taken  from  Thompson  (L.  I.,  vol.  i.,  p. 
431).     Mr.  Thompson  does  not  give  his  authority 
and  the  writer  had  been  unable  to  find  any  other, 
and  considers  it  a  mistake  of  Mr.  Thompson  for 
Cataconnock.     In  the  Brooklyn  Eagle  Almanac  for 
1889  I  derived  it  from  a  personal  name  or  the 
same  as  given  in  Trumbull's  Indian  Names  in 
Connecticut,  viz.:  Ske'-komJ-eko;  modern  Chicomi- 
co;  an  Indian  village,  about  two  miles  south  of  the 
present  village  of  Pine  Plains,  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y. 
A  Moravian  mission  station,  1740—44,  on  Chicomico 
Creek   which    runs    northwesterly    through  Pine 
Plains   township,    perpetuates   the   name,    which 


46  Indian  Place-Names 

local  tradition  misinterprets  "Little  mountain." 
It  is  obviously  formed  from  "she,"  "die,"  for 
mishe,  or  k'che,  "great,"  and  komuk  (Eliot)  or 
comaco,  "house"  or  "inclosed  place."  The  place 
may  have  been  so  denominated  (like  weramo- 
comaco,  in  Virginia,  and  Narragansett  sachimma- 
comonock,  "sachem's  house")  from  the  "great 
lodge"  of  some  chief,  or  because  here  was  the 
"great  village"  of  the  tribe.  This  quotation 
from  Trumbull  shows  Cataconnock  to  be  nearer 
the  true  form  than  Cometico.  See  Cataconnock. 

63.  COMPOWAMS:  a  neck  of  land  in  the  town 
of  Islip,  west  of  Bay  Shore.  The  brook  which 
bounds  it  on  the  east  was  called  by  the  same  name, 
now  known  as  the  "Bay  Shore  Brook,"  and  one 
time  designated  as  "Thompson's  Brook."  On 
Sept.  i,  1701,  the  Indians  sold  to  Thomas  Willets 
two  necks  of  land  called  Manetuc  and  Watchogue, 
"bounded  west  by  the  river  called  Compowams, 
east  by  the  river  called  Watchogue,  south  by  the 
salt-bay,  and  to  extend  northward,  keeping  the 
full  breadth  of  said  necks,  as  far  as  the  north  side 
of  the  pines."  On  "June  i,  1703,  the  Indians 
conveyed  to  Oloff,  Philip  and  Stephen  Van  Cort- 
land,  a  neck  called  Compowams,  having  the  neck 
called  Mantash  on  the  east,  and  a  neck  called 
Missatuck  on  the  west,  extending  northward  into 
the  woods  from  the  Indian  path  five  English 
miles"  (Thompson's  L.  /.,  vol.  i.,  p.  447).  Varia- 


On  Long  Island  47 

tions  are  Compowis,  Compowms,  Compauwams. 
From  the  mark  of  the  English  possessive  the  word 
appears  to  be  an  Indian's  personal  name.  Perhaps 
the  name  may  be  the  equivalent  of  the  Massachu- 
setts (Eliot)  Kuppohham,  "he  closes ";  Kuppuhon, 
"door."  (A.  F.  c.) 

64.  CONEGUMS:  a  creek  at  Mattituck,  South- 
old  town.  In  the  Indian  deed,  dated  March  20, 
1648:  "  Uxoquepassem  or  Puammis  Sachem,  to- 
gether with  his  three  brothers,  viz. :  "  Weewacup, 
Nowconneey,  Neesautquaggus  convey  to  Mr.  Theo- 
philus  Eaton,  Governor  of  New  Haven,  and  to  Mr. 
Steven  Goodyear,  Deputy  Governor,  all  that 
their  land  lying  between  Conchake  and  Ucquebaak, 
commonly  called  Mattatuck,  bounded  on  the  East 
with  the  creek  Conegums  and  the  way  leading 
thence  to  Mattatuck  pond,  for  drawing  over  their 
canoes"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  77).  The  original 
deed,  in  a  dilapidated  condition,  but  still  legible,  is 
in  the  possession  of  the  Long  Island  Historical 
Society.  This  stream  is  now  known  as  "Reeve's 
Creek"  and  is  near  the  boundary  between  South- 
old  and  Riverhead  towns.  The  Mattituck  pond 
(so-called)  is  the  sheet  of  water  now  designated 
as  Mattituck  Bay.  Between  the  two  in  ancient 
times  the  Indians  were  accustomed  to  drag  their 
canoes  across,  as  mentioned  above;  this  gave  it 
the  name,  which  occurs  in  the  oldest  records  of 
Southold,  of  Canoe  place.  The  signification  is 


48  Indian  Place-Names 

"a  boundary,"  because  it  was  the  east  bounds 
of  the  above  tract  of  land.     See  Kanungum. 

65.  CONNECTICUT:  a  creek  or  river  in  Brook- 
haven  town,   now  called   Carman's  River.     By 
some,    this    and   the   following   name   might   be 
considered  as  taken  from  the  well-known  river 
of  New  England,  but  it  was  not,  these  having 
been  so-named  at  a  very  early  period.     In  fact  it 
was  a  common  appellation  for  long  streams  of 
water.     In  Wyandance's   deed    for   meadow,    at 
Mastic,    1657,    we   find:     "Two   great   necks   of 
meadow  lying  from  a  river  called  Connecticut  and 
so   to   a  river  called   Wegonthotak"    (B.   H.   R., 
vol.    i.),    and   in    1674:   "that   lyeth   between   a 
river  called  Conitticut  to  another  called  Mastic" 
(B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  33).     This  river  in  the  early 
days  was  sometimes  designated  as   "East   Con- 
necticut"   in   distinction   to   the   one    mentioned 
below. 

66.  CONNETQUOT:  river  or  creek  in  the  town 
of  Islip,  sometimes  called  Nicoll's  River,  or  more 
often    Connetquot    brook.      The    Southside    Club 
House  is  located  on  this  beautiful  stream  of  water. 
In  the  early  days  it  was  sometimes  termed  the 
1 '  West  Connecticut. ' '     Thus  in  1 662 :     ' '  West  Cun- 
iticutt  or  meadow  that  they  bought — this  Conitu- 
cutt  situate    betwixt    Unkachak   and  Sequatake" 
(B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  36).     In  an  Indian  deed  to 


On  Long;  Island  49 

Wm.  Nicoll,  1683:  "all  that  tract  of  land  situate, 
lying  and  being  on  the  Southside  of  Long  Island, 
bounded  on  the  east  by  a  certain  river  called 
Conetquot"  (Thompson's  L.  /.,  vol.  i.,  p.  444). 
This  name  and  the  previous  one  are  derived  from 
Quinni-  (qunnih-  in  Eliot;  variations  quonne, 
conne,  etc.),  "long";  -tukq,  "a  tidal  river  or 
creek";  the  locative  -ut,  "at."  The  whole  word 
quonne-tukq-ut  thus  signifies,  "at  the  long  river." 
See  Quonettquott. 

67.  CONORASSET:  a  name  said  to  have  been 
applied  by  the  Indians  to  a  tract  of  land  now 
included  in  the  town  of  Jamaica.     It  is  found 
so  recorded  in  a  petition  to   Peter  Stuyvesant, 
Governor  General  of  New  Netherlands,  March  10, 
1656,    viz.:    "The   place    they    desire    and   have 
alreadie  petitioned  for  is  called   Conorasset  and 
lies   from    a   River   which    divides   it    from   the 
Conorie   see   to   the  bounds  of  heemsteade   and 
may  containe  about  twentie  families."     In  the 
permit  granted  by  the  Dutch  the  land  is  called 
'' Canaresse"    (Col.  Hist.  N.    F.,   vol.    xiv.,   pp. 
339»  34°) •     A  variant  is  Canorasset  (De  Kay).     It 
was  part  of  the  territory  of  the  Canarsies  and 
takes  its  name  from  the  headquarters  of  that 
tribe.     See  Canarsie. 

68.  CONUNGUM,  or  Conungam:  "about  midway 
between  Manorville  and  Riverhead  lies  the  settle- 


50  Indian  Place-Names 

ment  of  Calverton.  The  locality  preserves  the 
ancient  name  of  Conungam,  Riverhead"  (Mun- 
sell's  Hist.  S.  C.).  See  Kanungum. 

69.  COOSPUTUS:  ''one  of  the  smaller  necks  of 
land  into  which  Mastic  Neck,  is  divided"  (Bayles's 
Hist.  Suffolk  Co.,  also  Munsell's  Hist.  S.  C.).   Pos- 
sibly a  variation  of  Poospatuck.     See  Poospatuck. 

70.  COPECES  :    a  locality  at  the  head  of  Three 
Mile  Harbor,  East  Hampton  town.     According 
to  the  records,  on  "Sept.  20,  1705,  Jeremiah  Miller 
exchanged  meadow  ground  lying  at  or  near  the 
head  of    Three  Mile  Harbor  at  a  place  called 
Copeces"  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  139).      The  head 
of  this  harbor  is  inclosed  or  shut  in  by  a  point  of 
land  and  meadow,  leaving  a  very  narrow  passage 
into  the  inner  harbor  or  cove,  which  makes  it  a 
sheltered  place  for  the  boats  of  the  fishermen  who 
live  in  the  vicinity,  as  it  must  also  have  been  for 
the  canoes  of  the  red  man  who  made  this  section  a 
favorite  resort,  indicated  by  the  numerous  shell- 
heaps  now  whitening  the  shores  and  bluffs.     The 
name    is    the    equivalent    of    the    Narragansett 
aucupawese,     Massachusetts,     kuppi-es,      "little 
cove,"  literally,   "little  place  of  shelter."     The 
word  is  derived  from  kuppi,  "shut  in,"  "shel- 
tered" ;  -es,  diminutive  suffix.  See  Copiag,  Copwax. 

71.  COPIAG:  a  neck  of  land  in  the  western  part 


On  Long;  Island  51 

of  Babylon  town,  south  of  the  settlement  known 
as  Breslau.  One  of  the  necks  of  meadow  sold  by 
the  Indians  in  1658,  names  of  the  same  not  being 
given.  In  a  deed  of  1666,  we  find:  "passell  of 
meddow  .  .  .  being  in  a  neck  comonly  called  by 
the  Indians  Coppiage"  (H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  84). 
Variations  are  Copyag,  1693;  Cuppuauge,  1698. 
On  modern  maps  the  name  appears  as  Copiag. 
Trumbull  in  his  Indian  Names  in  Connecticut 
gives  the  following  etymology  for  a  name  of 
similar  form:  "The  name  denotes  a  'harbor,' 
or  '  place  of  shelter ' ;  literally  a  '  place  shut  in. ' 
Massachusetts  kuppi,  "closed";  kobkog,  "haven," 
' '  harbor ' ' ;  Narragansett  aukup  (we  have  an  equi- 
valent for  this  name  in  Quebec;  and  also  in  the 
modern  Cape  Poge — formerly  Capeack,  Capawack, 
etc., — on  Martha's  Vineyard)."  Eliot  also  uses 
the  name  for  "forest,"  "woods,"  etc.  The 
neck  Kuppi-auke  was  so  called,  because  it  was 
"land  shut  in,"  by  the  zneadows  by  which  it  is 
nearly  surrounded,  from  the  "forest"  that  covered 
it,  or  perhaps  some  "sheltered  harbor"  at  or 
near  it.  The  components  of  the  word  are  kuppi, 
"shut  in,"  "sheltered;"  -auke,  "place."  See 
Copeces,  Copwax. 

72.  COPWAX  :  creek  on  Rockaway  Neck,  Hemp- 
stead  town,  Queen's  Co.  The  records  of  March 
20,  1684,  mention  a  "tract  of  land  lying  at  a 
creek  called  Oppeax,  and  so  running  to  another 


52  Indian  Place-Names 

called  Copwax"  (Cal.  of  Land  Papers,  Sec'y  of 
State's  Office,  p.  27).  It  is  named  as  Coekwas  in 
an  entry  of  1682.  The  word  is  the  same  as  the 
previous  name,  with  slight  variation.  The  creek 
was  possibly  a  ' '  place  of  shelter ' '  for  canoes.  John 
Smith  and  others  call  the  locality  on  Martha's 
Vineyard,  Capawack  or  Capawac. 

73.  CORAM,  Corum:  a  farming  hamlet  in 
Brookhaven  on  the  old  country  road,  near  the 
geographical  centre  of  the  town.  Another  small 
settlement  about  two  miles  southeast  is  known  as 
"  Coram  Hills."  Many  of  the  Long  Island  his- 
torians derive  this  name  from  one  of  the  native 
chiefs.  Munsell,  e.  g.,from  Caraway.  This  name 
appears  on  a  deed  of  1673  as  Cor  away  or  Puding 
(B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  43).  In  an  order  to  Richard 
Woodhull,  dated  Aug.  13,  1677,  we  find:  "that 
the  new  way  designed  and  ordered  in  Governor 
Nicoll's  time  through  the  middle  of  the  Island 
(the  old  country  road)  .  .  .  bee  nott  only  re- 
marked but  sufficiently  cleared  of  brush  .  .  .  and 
that  hee  settle  a  farm  ...  at  or  about  Mon- 
corum"  (Col.  Hist,  of  N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  729). 
Again  in  1730:  "wee  have  layed  oute  to  John 
Smith  the  land  granted  to  William  Satterly  about 
Wincoram"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  121).  Modernly 
Coram  or  Corum.  Coram  or  Corum  Hill  is  found 
in  Huntington,  Conn.  (Trumbull's  Indian  Names 
in  Conn.,  p.  12).  Wine  cor  em  occurs  in  a  deed  of 


On  Long  Island  53 

1738.  "At  or  about  Moncorum"  shows  that  the 
range  of  hills  which  rises  up  so  plainly  from 
the  plains  north  of  Patchogue  now  known  as  the 
Cor  am  Hills  was  the  locality  intended  for  a  farm. 
The  same  name  occurring  in  Connecticut  applied 
to  a  hill  shows  that  we  must  look  to  some  charac- 
teristic of  the  hills  for  its  meaning.  Therefore, 
instead  of  being  derived  from  some  Indian  chief,  I 
regard  it  as  the  equivalent  of  the  Massachusetts 
(Eliot)  ma)nouhkoiyeum,  "a  valley,"  "low  coun- 
try," shortened  into  Moncorum  and  afterwards 
into  Coram.  It  probably  referred  to  a  passage 
between  ther  hills  or  some  valley  near  them. 

74.  COSTEYICK:  "place  of  uncertain  location, " 
(De  Kay's  Names  on  L.  /.).     This  is  Dutch,  and 
not  Indian — by  some  means  taken  from  the  proper 
name  of  Peter  Cornelissen  Costelyick,  Master  of 
the    "Pine  Apple"  in  1648    (Col.  Hist.  N.    F., 
vol.  xiv.,  p.  86). 

75.  COTSJEWAMINCK:    This  form  of  the  name 
of  Shelter  Island,  and  islands  adjacent,  is  found 
on  record  in  a  treaty  of  1645.     It  is  the  Dutch 
notation  for  Ahaquatuwamuck.     See  Manhansack- 
Ahaquatuivamock,  also  Mochgonnekonck. 

76.  COWAMOKE:    "A  locality  in    Smithtown, 
(De  Kay).     "The  Indian  name  of  Fresh  Ponds, 
a  small  settlement  in  the  northwestern  part  of 


54  Indian  Place-Names 

the  town  [Smithtown]  was  called  Cowamok" 
(Thompson's  L.  I.,  vol.  i.,  p.  460).  It  is  probable 
that  Mr.  Thompson  is  in  error  and  gives  us  Cowa- 
mok for  Unshemamuck.  De  Kay's  authority  is 
probably  Thompson.  Possibly  this  form  of  the 
name  might  be  translated  as  "pine  tree  place," 
corresponding  to  the  Massachusetts  karwa;  Narra- 
gansett  (R.  Williams)  cowaw,  "pine  tree";  -auke, 
"land"  or  "place."  See  Unshemamuck. 

77.  CUMSEWOGUE  :  a  farming  district  upon  the 
high  level  plain,  about  a  mile  south  of  Port  Jeffer- 
son, Brookhaven  town.  The  only  early  record 
we  have  been  able  to  find  is  as  follows:  In  1805 
the  Commissions  of  Highways  are  called  "to  view 
a  road  or  highway  near  Setauket  at  a  place  called 
Comsewague"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  97).  A  variant 
is  Cumsewage,  1835.  Modernly  the  name  is 
Cumsewogue.  A  post-office  having  been  estab- 
lished here,  the  name  in  accordance  with  orders 
from  the  P.  O.  Department,  has  been  changed  to 
Echo,  which  is  to  be  regretted.  This  name  prob- 
ably refers  to  some  road  or  trail  originally  estab- 
lished by  the  Indians  and  afterwards  used  by 
the  whites  as  was  frequently  the  case.  Earlier 
forms  would  probably  show  that  it  was  derived 
from  the  word  corresponding  to  the  Delaware 
(Zeisberger)  pomsi;  Unkechaug  (Jefferson)  copu- 
musah;  Mohegan  (Edwards),  kepumseh,  "thou 
walkest";  Chippewa  (Baraga)  bimossewin;  Algon- 


On  Long  Island  55 

kin  (Mackenzie)  pemoussai,  "to  walk."  The  same 
radicals  appear  in  the  Narragansett  (R.  Williams) , 
yo-cuppummesicommin,  "cross  over  into  the  way 
there."  The  etymology  is,  therefore,  Cumsew- 
auke,  "a  walking  place. " 

78.  CUPSAGE  :  a  locality  on  the  Great  South 
Beach,  opposite  Eastport,  Southampton  town. 
The  place  is  probably  referred  to  in  an  entry  of  Jan. 
15,  1662,  viz.:  "Part  of  the  Shinnecock  Indians 
.  .  .  doe  say  that  they  have  given  and  made  over 
all  their  land  from  Niamack  over  to  the  old  gutt, 
westward  unto  Capt.  Topping  with  all  their 
interest  in  the  beach"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  27). 
In  1693 :  "  near  a  place  called  Cupsawege  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  the  gut  near  a  place  called 
the  green  pines"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  85).  Other 
records  give  Capswague,  1693 ;  Cup  Soak  gutt,  1700. 
In  1703  we  find  in  the  town  records:  "And  west- 
erly from  an  Inlett  out  of  ye  sea  or  mane  otion 
comonly  known  as  Copsoage ,  gut"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol. 
ii.,  p.  177).  Still  other  variants  are:  Cupsage, 
1712;  Cupsouge  gut,  1712;  Cupsoge,  1768.  This 
name  is  derived  from  the  equivalent  of  the  Mas- 
sachusetts (Eliot),  kuppi,  "closed,"  "shut  in," 
etc.,  and  -sauk,  "an  inlet "  or  "outlet "  (of  a  body 
of  water).  The  meaning  of  Kup-sauk  is  thus  an 
"inlet  that  closes  or  shuts  up,"  "a  shut  up  inlet," 
"  closed  inlet."  These  passages  of  water,  or  guts,  as 
they  are  often  termed,  that  connect  the  Great  South 


56  Indian  Place-Names 

Bay  with  the  ocean,  frequently  close  up,  and 
remain  so,  until  a  new  one  is  formed  by  storms 
or  by  digging.  The  beach  is  marked  in  many 
places,  where  once  the  inlets  poured  their  streams 
into  the  broad  Atlantic  or  vice  versa  (H.  R.,  vol. 
iii.,  p.  231,  238).  See  Seapoose. 

79.  CUTCHOGUE  :  post-office  and  farming  ham- 
let in  Southold  town.  This  name  was  originally 
applied  to  a  tract  of  land,  on  which  one  of  the 
Island  tribes  was  located  at  the  era  of  settlement. 
On  this  tract  still  known  as  the  "Fort  Neck"  (and 
the  original  Corchauge)  was  located  their  palisaded 
inclosure.  The  late  J.  Wickham  Case  wrote: 

"The  fort  was  eligibly  and  pleasantly  situated 
on  the  east  side  of  the  neck,  on  a  declivity  sloping 
toward  the  creek,  and  close  by  a  fine  spring  of 
pure  water,  which  rises  on  the  shore  just  above 
high  water  mark  and  flows  into  the  creek,  which 
lies  in  close  proximity  to  the  fort.  The  lines  of 
embankment  of  earth,  and  the  trenches  which 
surround  the  fort  are  still  to  be  traced.  An 
excavation  of  considerable  depth  (probably  the 
store-house)  is  within  the  enclosure  which  em- 
braces half  or  three-fourths  of  an  acre"  (S.  R.» 
vol.  i.,  p.  121).  On  July  21,  1891,  by  invitation 
of  the  owner,  Mr.  Henry  V.  Downs,  I  visited  the 
spot  and  found  it  to  be  as  described,  with  the 
exception,  that  it  is  situated  in  a  dense  grove, 
that  has  been  undisturbed  for  many  years.  The 


On  Long  Island  57 

neighboring  fields  bordering  the  creek  bear  evi- 
dences of  wigwam  sites.  Shells,  pottery  sherds, 
arrow-points,  etc.,  are  met  with  at  every  point. 
This  neck  of  land  is  both  interesting  and  historical, 
it  being  on  record  as  having  been  visited  both  by 
the  Dutch  and  English  on  many  occasions,  per- 
haps in  1633  by  Winthrop  in  the  "Blessing," 
and  no  doubt  by  James  Farrett  in  his  " Ketch" 
in  1639-1640.  The  four  forts  of  Paumanack 
(Montauk's,  Manhansett's,  Shinnecock's,  and  Cor- 
chaug's)  bear  close  relationship  to  each  other. 
By  signal  fires  or  smoke  from  Shinnecock, — to 
Corchaug, — thence  to  Shelter  Island, — thence  to 
the  Nominick  Hills  on  Montauk,  or  vice  versa,  the 
four  tribes  could  be  brought  together  in  a  few 
hours.  No  prominent  Indian  name  on  Long 
Island  has  been  more  of  a  puzzle  than  this  one, 
owing  to  the  curious  way  in  which  the  English 
spelled  it;  and  yet,  its  etymology  is  very  simple. 
The  Dutch  seem  to  have  caught  the  true  sound 
better  than  the  neighboring  settlers.  This  was 
probably  due  to  the  fact  that  Secretary  Cornelis 
Van  Tienhoven  "who  understands  the  Indian 
language"  recorded  it.  Variations  are  Cotsjeyick, 
1645;  Catsjaock,  1647;  Car  choke,  1648;  Cor  choke, 
1648;  Corchauge,  1648;  Curchoug,  1660;  Couch- 
hauge,  1673;  Cauchaug,  1677;  Courchauge,  1677; 
Corchogge,  1684;  Cauchauk,  1704;  Kachogue, 
will  of  Wm.  Wells,  1696.  Modernly  the  word  is 
spelled  Cutchogue.  Catsjey,  Catsja,  Carch  or  Cough, 


58  Indian  Place-Names 

=  kehche,  kehti  or  keihte  (as  Eliot  variously  writes 
it)  signifies  "chief, "  "pre-eminent,"  or  "superior, " 
"greatest,"  "principal,"  etc.  Thus  with  the 
locative  termination  -auke  or  -ock,  we  have  Kehch- 
auke,  "the  greatest  or  principal  place "  (of  refuge 
for  the  women  and  children  of  that  tribe,  and 
where  the  Sachem  lived,  in  fact  his  "headquar- 
ters). Capt.  John  Smith  (True  Relation,  p.  24) 
mentions  the  "king  of  Kiskieck,"  and  on  the  map 
of  Virginia  (Genemll  Historic}  we  find  a  king's 
town  called  "Kiskiack,"  lying  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Pamunkey  River.  This  is  the  Virginia  equiva- 
lent of  our  name.  Ruttenber's  suggested  deriva- 
tion from  Maskutchoung  cannot  be  correct. 

80.  CUTSGUNSUCK,  Cussquontuck:  a  brook  or 
creek  on  the  bounds  between  the  towns  of  Brook- 
haven  and  Smithtown  at  the  village  of  Stony 
Brook.  Recorded  Aug.  6,  1702:  "Ordered  that 
a  warrant  bee  given  to  the  surveyor  for  the  Laying 
out  of  one  hundred  acres  of  land  for  Mr.  Phillips 
att  a  place  comonly  called  Cutsgunsuck  and  in  case 
it  prove  to  be  within  the  bounds  of  Smithtown  he 
shall  have  the  equivalent  elsewhere"  (B.  H.  R., 
vol.,  i.  p.  94).  Another  entry  gives  it  as  "Cuts- 
gunsuck. "  The  original  award  to  the  arbitrators, 
Woodhull,  Hallock  and  Townsend  in  1736,  divid- 
ing Smithtown  among  the  heirs  and  grantees  of 
Richard  Smith,  gives  us:  "Which  lyeth  at  a  place 
called  Cussquontuck. "  A  copy  of  the  same  in  the 


On  Long  Island  59 

Town  Clerk's  office  "  Cutscwontock";  Andros  pa- 
tent, Smithtown,  1675:  "bounded  eastward  by  a 
runne  of  water  called  Stony  Brook";  Brookhaven 
and  Smithtown  boundary  award,  1725:  "Do 
judge  and  award  that  the  head  of  the  middle 
branch  of  Stony  Brook  .  .  .  shall  be  one  of  ye 
bounds  between  ye  said  towns"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol. 
i.f  p.  115).  In  this  name  we  discover  the  Algon- 
kian  synonym  for  Stony  Brook,  corresponding  to 
Massachusetts  qussuk  (Cotton),  "stone";  gussuk- 
quanash  (Eliot),  "stones,"  "rocks,"  as  in  mukin- 
numook  qussukquanash,  "gather  stones"  (Lev. 
xxi.,  46);  qussukquanumit  Bohan,  "to  the  shore  of 
Bohan, "  literally,  "to  the  stones  of  Bohan," 
(Joshua  xv.,  6).  This  word  is  identical  with  the 
Narragansett  qussucqun,  "heavy";  literally,  "it 
is  heavy"  (Trumbull's  Notes,  Narr.  Club  Reprint 
of  R.  Williams's  Key,  p.  177).  This  finds  its 
counterpart  in  the  Delaware  ksucquon;  Chippewa 
kosigwan,  "it  is  heavy."  The  terminal  affix 
seems  to  have  been  varied  in  the  early  records 
from  -suck,  "a  brook,"  or  "outlet,"  to  -tuck, 
"a  creek,"  "flowing  stream,"  or  "tidal  river." 
Thus  we  have  qussucqun- suck,  "stony  brook," 
or  qussucqun-tuck,  "the  stony  creek." 

8 1 .  CUTUNOMACK  :  see  Ketanomocke. 

82.  DICKEPECHEGANS  :    hills    in    Huntington, 
now  know  as  "Dix  Hills."     The  early  form  as 


60  Indian  Place-Names 

it  appears  nearly  fifty  years  after  the  settlement 
of  the  town,  viz.:  "dickepechegans, "  1689;  dick- 
petheyans,"  1689;  "dickepechegans,"  1690;  "dich- 
pechegans,"  1690  (H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  pp.  25,  41,  66, 
68),  has  all  the  attributes  of  a  personal  name  in  the 
possessive  case.  Dick,  an  English  name,  has  been 
added  to  the  aboriginal,  as  was  frequently  done 
by  both  the  whites  and  the  Indians,  and  the  name 
given  to  the  hills,  because  here  was  located  the 
wigwam  of  Dick  Pechegan,  and  the  fields  that  he 
planted.  His  name  appears  on  the  Indian  deed 
as  to  Wm.  Massey,  dated  1692,  as  Pechegin 
(H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  107). 

83.  EBWONS:  neck  of  land,  Brookhaven  town 
on  Mastic,  also  called  Rattlesnake  Neck,  lying 
between  Winocroscombs  Neck  and  Floyd's  Neck  on 
a  survey  of  1693,  by  Aug.  Graham.     This  appears 
not  to  be  an  Indian  name,  but  is  from  a  former 
owner,  "Samuel  Eburn"  of  Setauket,  who  bought 
it  in  1684.     See  Winnecroscoms. 

84.  EGHQUAONS:    Staten    Island,    Richmond 
Co.,  N.  Y.     So-called  in  the  Indian  deed  dated 
July  10,  1657,  viz.:   "We  the  undersigned  natives 
of  North  America,  hereditary  owners  of  Staten 
Island,  certify  and  declare  to  have  sold  and  con- 
veyed to  Lubbertus  Van  Dincklage,  attorney  for 
his  Noble  Honor,  Hendrick  Van  der  Capellen  tho 
Ryssel  the  whole  of  Staten  Island,  by  us  called 


On  Long;  Island  6l 

Eghqiiaons"  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  393). 
This  is  the  Dutch  notation  for  Aquehonga.  See 
Aquehonga  Manacknong. 

85.  ENAUGHQUAMUCK  :  a  locality  named  as 
the  limit  of  a  grant  by  Wiandance,  Sachem  of 
Pawmanack,  to  Lyon  Gardiner  in  1659:  "for  all 
whales  that  might  come  ashore  from  the  place 
called  Kitchaminfchoke  unto  the  place  called 
Enoughquamuck"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  38). 
Examination  of  the  original  records  shows  it  to  be 
Enaughquamuck.  The  localities  mentioned  are 
within  the  jurisdiction  of  Tobacus  and  Wine- 
croscum,  Sachems  of  Unkechaug,  and  they  had 
given  their  permission  to  the  grant.  The  year 
previous  Wiandance  sold  to  Lyon  Gardiner  the 
right  of  herbage  on  the  land  covered  by  his  grant, 
viz.:  "which  beach  begins  Eastward  at  the  west 
end  of  Southampton  bounds  and  westward  where 
it  is  separated  by  the  water  of  the  sea  cominge 
in  out  of  the  ocean  sea — southward  with  the 
great  sea,  Northward  by  the  Island  water: 
reserving  the  whales  that  shall  be  cast  up" 
(E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  148).  Winecroscum,  in  1685, 
denies  having  given  his  consent  to  this  transfer, 
(B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  69).  Enaughqu-amuck,  "as 
far  as  the  fishing-place,"  was  probably  the  inlet 
mentioned  in  the  above  grant.  Enaughqua  is 
the  parallel  of  the  Massachusetts  (Cotton)  un- 
nuhkuquat,  "as  far  as";  Narragansett,  anunckqua, 


62  Indian  Place-Names 

"at  the  end  of, "  "ending  of  either  land  or  water, " 
"to  the  extreme  point,"  or  "limit  of,"  as  in  you- 
anuckquoqua,  "how  big,"  "how  far";  Chippewa 
(Baraga),  enigokwa  aki  "as  wide  as  the  earth  is," 
enigokwadessing,  "as  it  is  wide."  With  the 
locative  -amuck,  "a  fishing-place,"  denotes  "as 
far  as  the  fishing-place  goes."  See  Kitchamin- 
chok. 

86.  EQUENDITO:  Barren  Island,  Flatlands, 
King's  Co.  Mentioned  in  the  Indian  deed  of 
April  13,  1664:  "We  Wawmatt  Tappa  and  Kacka- 
washke,  the  right  and  true  proprietors  of  a  certain 
island  called  by  the  Indians  Equendito,  and  by 
the  English  Broken  Lands  .  .  .  said  Island  called 
Equendito,  etc."  (Stiles's  Hist.  King's  Co.,  p. 
77.)  The  Island  is  now  wholly  composed  of 
white  sand,  and  the  area  of  the  Island  has  very 
considerably  decreased  within  the  memory  of 
persons  now  living.  Years  ago  the  Island  was 
destitute  of  trees,  producing  only  sedge  affording 
coarse  pasture.  Sixty  years  ago  cedar  trees 
sprang  up  over  the  Island  furnishing  a  roosting 
place  for  a  vast  number  of  crows.  The  Indian 
name  and  its  English  one  shows  that  it  was  cleared 
by  either  the  whites  or  the  natives.  The  prob- 
ability is  that  the  drifting  sand  covered  the 
natural  soil  after  it  was  cleared.  The  name  is 
an  abbreviated  form  of  a  word  corresponding  to 
the  Massachusetts  pequettah-ohke,  "land  opened 


On  Long  Island  63 

or  broken  up, "  "land  from  which  trees  and  bushes 
have  been  removed  to  fit  it  for  planting";  or  else 
(p)equen-ittuk,  "cleared  of  trees " ;  in  fact,  "broken 
lands"  as  called  by  the  English  or  Dutch. 

87.  ESSACHIAS:  a  small  creek  in   the  town  of 
Islip,  mentioned  as  follows  in  a  deed  of  1714, 
discovered  by   O.   B.   Ackerly,   Esq.:   "East   of 
Great  River,  and  south  east  of  Brickkiln  Point, 
two  small  creeks  or  runnes  of  water,  called  Weha- 
hamis  eastward  and  Essachias  westward."    Prob- 
ably a  personal  name  of  an  Indian  resident  near 
or  at  the  creek.     It  may  be  a  variation  of  the 
biblical  name  Zaccheus,  as  such  names  were  fre- 
quently bestowed  on  the  Indians  when  converted. 

88.  GENISSEE:  a  swamp  at  Sag  Harbor,  where 
the  pumps  and  engine  house  of  the  Sag  Harbor 
Water  Works  are  located.     This  name  is  found 
mentioned  in  a  deed  of   1838,  viz.:  "That  equal 
undivided  half  or  moiety  of  a  certain  lot  of  land 
situated  in  the  port  of  Sag  Harbor,  being  lots 
No.  2  and  3  in  Genissee  so  called."     This  tract 
was  granted  to  Hubbard  Latham  by  Southampton 
town  in  1804.     At  the  beginning  of  the  present 
century  the  rich  lands  of  the  Genesee  valley  in 
the  western  part  of  the  State  were  becoming  famous 
and  were  being  rapidly  filled  with  the  streams  of 
emigrants  flowing  west,  hence  the  adoption  of  the 
name  in  this  section.     The  name  is  derived  from 


64  Indian  Place-Names 

Onondaga  gennis-he-yo ,  "the  beautiful  valley," 
or  "the  pleasant  valley,"  being  thus  of  Iroquoian 
origin.  According  to  J.  N.  B.  Hewitt  (Handb. 
of  Inds.  N.  of  Mex.,  vol.  i.,  1907,  p.  489),  the  Seneca 
Tyo'-nesi  'yo  signifies,  "there  it  has  fine  banks." 

89.  GEORGICA:  a  farming  district  in  East 
Hampton,  between  the  village  and  Wainscot, 
bordering  on  the  sheet  of  water  known  as  "Geor- 
gica  Pond."  The  earliest  mention  of  the  locality 
is  June  10,  1652:  "Thomas  Talmage  senior  two 
ackers  upon  the  Little  plaine  beitmore  or  lese 
bounded  with  the  hieway  South  Georgika  West 
and  North  and  Mr.  James  East"  (E.  H.  R., 
vol.  i.,  p.  23).  At  a  town  meeting  of  June  19, 
1657:  "An  Indian  being  asked  how  far  Shinne- 
cocks  Indians  bounds  went  .  .  .  answered  that 
it  went  to  george  cake  or  Wainscot  at  the  least 
or  there  abouts"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  114). 
Variations  are  Jorgke,  1650;  "4  acres  laid  out  att 
the  neck  of  Georgika  where  Mr.  Mulford  formerly 
mowed,"  1667  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  268);  Georgeke, 
1685;  Georgekea,  1690;  Jorgake,  1713;  Georgicay, 
1728;  Georgake,  1731.  This  place  derives  its 
name  from  an  Indian  who  formerly  lived  on  the 
neck.  Jeorgkee  an  Indian  "goes  to  sea  to  kill 
whales  for  Jacob  Schillinger  of  East  Hampton  and 
partners,"  as  per  agreement  dated  April  7,  1679 
(S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  79).  This  derivation  is  also 
the  traditional  one  as  handed  down  to  Mr. 


On  L,on§£  Island  65 

Sineus  Talmadge,  the  present  owner  of  part  of  the 
above  tract  of  land.  The  signification  of  the  name 
has  not  been  ascertained.  It  is  possible,  how- 
ever, that  it  may  be  a  corruption  of  the  English 
George. 

90.  GILGO:  an  inlet  from  the  ocean  to  the 
"Great  South  Bay,"   between  Oak  Island  and 
Jones's  Beach,  Babylon  town. 

91.  GONUX:  a  point  of  land  on  Great  Hog 
Neck  or    "Peconic   Park,"  Southold  town.     So- 
called  from  an  Indian  who  was  drowned  in  the 
vicinity  over  one  hundred  years  ago  and  buried 
upon   the  point.     The   grave   at   one   time  was 
marked  by  a  stone  on  which  was  carved  G.  X. 
The  East  Hampton  Church  Records,  copied  by 
J.  Lyon  Gardiner,  Esq.,  and  preserved  at  Gardi- 
ner's Island,  contain  the  following  entry:  "1767, 
June  5th.     Moses  Gonack,  drowned."     The  word 
is  probably  related  to  the  Delaware  gunaxin,  "to 
be  long,  to  be  tall,  to  be  high,  "  gunaxu  (Zeisberger), 
"he    is    long,    tall    of    stature";    Massachusetts 
qunnunkqussu,   "he  is  tall";  Narragansett,'  qun- 
nadqussu,  "a  tall  man."     See  Gunnunks. 

92.  GOORGO:  neck  of  land  in  Islip  town,  east 
of  Babylon.     It  was  "formerly  called  'Go-or-go 
his  neck'  which  has  been  corrupted  to  George's 


66  Indian  Place-Names 

Neck  and  St.  George's  Neck"  (Munsell's  Hist. 
Suffolk  Co.,  Islip).  This  is  probably  an  error, 
according  to  the  following  record,  the  word  being 
a  corruption  of  George,  viz.:  "Richard  and 
Thomas  Willets  in  1696  procured  a  deed  for  a 
tract  of  land  lying  to  the  east  of  Sequatogue  and 
called  by  the  English  George's  Neck  "  (Thompson's 
L.  /.,  vol.  i.,  p.  446.) 

93.  GOWANUS:  creek,  bay,  and  locality  in  the 
City  of  Brooklyn.  It  appears  very  early  in  the 
Dutch  records,  in  1638:  "  Thomas  Bescher  sells 
a  plantation  to  Cornelis  Lambersen  Cool,  situate 
on  Long  Island  near  Gowanus"  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y., 
vol.  xiv.).  Kieft's  Patent  1640  (Red  Hook,  I2th 
ward  Brooklyn):  "peice  of  land  upon  the  Long 
Island  .  .  .  reaching  in  breadth  from  the  kil 
and  valley  that  conies  from  Gowanes,  N.  W.  by 
N."  (Col.  Hist,  of  N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv.).  Variants 
are:  Kil  of  Gowanes,  1645 ;  Gouwanis,  1652.  Stiles's 
History  of  King's  County,  from  other  records, 
gives  Goujanes,  Coujanes,  Cojanes,  and  Cujanes 
(which  bespeak  a  Spanish  derivation).  From 
the  mark  of  the  possessive  the  land  probably  takes 
its  name  from  the  Indian  who  planted  there, 
Gauwane's  plantation.  His  name  may  be  trans- 
lated "the  sleeper,"  or  "he  rests."  It  is  cognate 
with  the  Delaware  gauwin,  "to  sleep;"  Massachu- 
setts, kouweu,  "he  sleeps,"  koueuenin,  "a  sleeper." 
See  also  Algonquian  Series,  vol.  ii.,  pp.  29-32. 


On  Long  Island  67 

94.  GUEGUIS:    Little    Neck   in   the   town  of 
Babylon.     This  name  appears  but  once  in  the 
town  records,   then  in  a  deed  from  Samuel  to 
Hannah  Titus,   dated  Aug.,    1696:  viz.:  "which 
necke  is  comonlye  called  or  known  by  the  English 
by  ye  name  of  ye  Litell  necke  by  ye  Indians 
gueguis"  (H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  194). 

95.  GUNNUNKS:  a  swamp  in  the  North  Neck, 
Montauk.     A  small  tract  of  land  in  close  proxim- 
ity is  called  Gunnunk's  Garden.     It  lies  midway 
between  Fort  Pond  and  Culloden  Point,  at  the 
foot  of  the  range  of  hills,  known  as  the  Rocky 
Ridge.     I  have  been  informed  by  Jonathan  Gould, 
Esq.,  who  lived  at  the  second  house  for  many 
years,  that  the  swamp  and  garden  took  its  name 
from  an  old  squaw  who  made  her  home  there. 
Mr.   Abraham   Schellinger  of  Amagansett,   aged 
over  80,  says,  "that  he  heard  his  father  speak  of 
this  squaw  who  was  called  Luce  Gunnunk,  and 
that  she  was  a  very  tall  woman."     It  may  have 
been  originally  the  parallel  of  the  Delaware  gun- 
aquat,   "tall";  Narragansett  and  Massachusetts, 
gunnuqui,  or  gun'unkq,  "tall";    -unk,   "a  tree" 
(Trumbull);    gun' unk,    "a    tall    standing   tree." 
See  Gonux. 

96.  GUSCOMQUOROM  :  neck  of  land  in  Babylon 
town,  now  known  as  the  Great  East  Neck.     One 
of  the  five  necks  of   meadow    bought    in    1657, 


68  Indian  Place-Names 

but  not  named.  In  a  record  of  1669,  we  find: 
"and  the  other  parcell  lying  on  a  neck  called  by 
the  Indians  Guscomquorom  and  by  the  English 
the  East  Neck."  Indian  deed  for  Santapaug, 
1689:  ''Southward  unto  the  Indian  path  nor- 
ward  as  now  is,  and  from  the  River  eastward 
that  parts  guscomquaram  from  the  said  Santa- 
paug."  Indian  deed  for  the  upland,  1698:  "all 
that  tract  of  upland  .  .  .  comonly  known  by 
ye  English  by  ye  name  of  ye  East  Neck,  by  ye 
Indians  Cans  Cung  Quaram"  (H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  pp. 
10,  154;  vol.  ii.,  pp.  34,  222).  Munsell's  History 
of  Suffolk  County  gives  Caus-kum-cru-a-ran.  Gus- 
comquorom denotes  "a  crossing-place";  from  the 
fact  that  it  was  crossed  by  the  Indian  trail,  or 
that  there  was  a  wading  place  between  that  neck 
and  Santapaug.  The  word  is  related  to  the  Mas- 
sachusetts (Eliot)  qushkodteam,  "he  went  over," 
' '  passed  over ' ' ;  Delaware,  gochgoshgaan, ' '  to  cross 
(a  water)";  Micmac,  usogomaase,  "to  cross  a 
water";  Chippewa,  gashkis,  "to  pass  over  some- 
thing." We  may  compare  Micmac  Assookcum- 
kakuuc,  "crossing  place"  (Campbell's  Hist.  Yar- 
mouth Co.,  N.  S.,  p.  20). 

97.  HAPAX:  creek  on  Rockaway  Neck,  Hemp- 
stead  town.  Probably  a  form  corresponding  to 
Massachusetts  dupauk,  "flooded  or  overflowed 
land,"  so-called  from  the  meadows  that  border 
the  creek.  See  Coekwas  and  Oppeax. 


On  Long;  Island  69 

98.  HASHAMOMUK:  a  neck  of  land  west  of  the 
village  of  Greenport,  Southold  town.  The  name 
originally  belonged  to  a  limited  tract  of  land, 
although  the  early  settlers  so-called  the  whole 
eastern  part  of  the  town  as  shown  by  an  entry 
of  1659,  viz.:  "It  was  ordered  that  Hashamom- 
muck  Neck  from  Wm.  Solmons  and  John  Con- 
kelynnes  bounds  to  the  utmost  poynt  of  land  agst 
Plumb  Gutt, "  etc.  (S.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  324).  It  is 
first  mentioned  in  a  certificate  dated  1645,  but  not 
recorded  until  1750,  one  hundred  and  five  years 
afterwards,  viz.:  "This  may  serve  to  certify 
that  I,  William  Salmon,  have  bought  of  a  man- 
hansuck  Indian  named  Paukamp  ...  a  parcel 
of  land  comonly  called  Hashamommock"  (S.  R., 
vol.  ii.,  p.  276).  Variants  are  Hashamamuck, 
1649;  Hashamommuck,  1653;  Hashamoomuk,  1677; 
Hashshamamuk,  1680;  Hashamomuk,  1684;  Har- 
shamomque,  1795;  Arshamomaque,  1890.  This 
name  belongs  to  Trumbull's  Class  3,  and  is  an 
interesting  specimen  of  that  class.  Hashamomuk 
neck  was  noted  for  its  running  springs  of  water, 
which  made  the  neck  very  desirable  to  the  early 
settlers.  Hence  the  name  which  is  derived  from 
h'ashim  "a  spring  of  water  for  drinking  pur- 
poses"; Massachusetts,  ashim,  "fountain";  -om, 
"the  verb  of  motion" ;  -muck,  "where  a  thing  is. " 
Hence  H'ashim-om-muck,  "where  the  springs 
flow."  See  Mashomuck. 


7O  Indian  Place-Names 

99.  HASSOCK:  a  creek  in  the  meadow  near 
Rockaway  Beach  (U.  S.  Coast  Survey  Map). 

100.  HASSOCK:  a  tract  of  meadow  near  East 
Rockaway  Inlet,  called  "Great  Bear  Hassock.'" 

101.  HASSOCK:  another  tract  in  same  locality, 
called  "Black  bank  Hassock."     The  word  is  the 
parallel   of   the   Narragansett   hassucki,    "marsh 
land";   Delaware,   assisku,    "miry   or  marshy." 
See  Rassapeague. 

102.  HASSOCKEY:  localities  mentioned  in  the 
early  records  in  connection  with  marshy  tracts  of 
land.     First  in  1657,  Records  of  Jamaica,  "Has- 
sokie  meadowes"  (Col.  Hist,  of  N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv., 
p.  5°5)  >  again  in  1682:    "It  was  voted  and  agreed 
by  the  major  part  of  the  town  that  the  Hassokey 
swamp  over  against  Jonathan  Rogers,   shall  be 
sold  at  a  vandue  by  the  burning  of  an  inch  of 
candle"  (H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  339).      Also  Hassokey 
Meadow,  1683. 

103.  HAUPPAUGE:  a  hamlet  on  the  southern 
border  of  Smithtown.     The  locality  was  called 
in  the  early  records  of  the  town  "Wheelers,"  from 
two   of  the  first  settlers.    Hauppaug  road  now 
forms  part  of  the  boundary  between  this  town  and 
Islip.     "In  1735,  Hauppauge  neck  containing  1200 
acres,  as  owned  by  the  Smiths,  was  only  that 


On  Long  Island  71 

portion  of  it  which  lay  in  Smithtown.  The  neck 
ran  across  the  town  of  Islip  and  was  the  tract 
included  in  the  Gibbs's  patent  of  1692"  (Mun- 
sell's  Hist.  Smithtown,  p.  39).  The  locality  is  a 
swampy  section,  abounding  in  springs  of  running 
water  which  make  the  head  waters  of  Wingan- 
hauppauge  brook  that  flow  southward  through 
the  town  of  Islip,  hence  the  name  given  to  the 
hamlet — being  the  same  as  the  brook  with  the 
prefix  dropped.  The  traditional  meaning  "sweet 
water"  as  given  by  the  various  Island  historians, 
is  inadmissible.  It  is  from  the  word  correspond- 
ing to  the  Massachusetts  (Eliot)  dupaiik,  "over- 
flowed land;"  Micmac  (Rand)  aoompogwa,  "to be 
overflowed;"  Delaware,  chiippegat,  " high  water.  " 
The  name  was  also  applied  by  the  Indians  to 
springs  that  flow  out  and  cover  the  land,  which 
fully  described  the  swampy  characteristics  of 
Hauppauge  neck.  See  Wingarihauppauge  and  Win- 
gatthappagh. 

104.  HAUQUEBAUG:  see  Aquebogue. 

105.  HOCUM:  "the  neck  of  land  at  West  Islip, 
generally  known  as  Secatogue,  is  sometimes  called 
Hocum."    (Munsell's   Hist.    Suffolk    Co.,    Islip.) 
"The   neck    now   owned   by   the  Willets   family 
was  called  by  the  Indians  Hocum,  the  name  of 
Secatogue  or  Sequatake  being  nearly  coextensive 
with  the  jurisdiction  of  that  tribe"  (Thompson's 


72  Indian  Place-Names 

L.  /.,  vol.  i.,  p.  448).  The  above  statement  is 
not  founded  on  facts,  for  the  neck  was  no  doubt 
called  Secatogue;  on  it  was  located  their  principal 
village  at  the  era  of  settlement.  Consequently, 
the  term  Secatogue  could  not  have  designated 
their  whole  territory.  Hocum  was  perhaps  a 
name  of  one  of  the  chiefs  who  resided  here,  or 
it  may  have  been  descriptive  of  some  part  of  the 
neck,  "hook-shaped,"  from  a  word  corresponding 
to  the  Narragansett  (R.  Williams)  hoquaun; 
Delaware,  hoquaan,  "a  hook";  perhaps  related 
to  Hoaham,  Hoham,  Hooham  (Nelson,  Pers. 
Names  of  Inds.  of  N.  J.,  1904,  p.  20),  the  name 
of  several  Delaware  sachems  (A.  F.  c.). 

1 06.  HOGGENOCH:   a  supposed  Indian  name, 
now  applied  by  the  owner,  C.  A.  Lamont,  Esq., 
to  "Little  Hog  Neck"  near  Sag  Harbor.     It  is  a 
corrupted  form  of  Hog  Neck,  so  spelled  by  mis- 
take in  the   Dongan   Patent  for  Southampton, 
Dec.  6,  1686. 

107.  HOHOSBOCO:  creek  in  the  southern  part 
of    Newtown,    Queen's    Co.     An    Indian    deed, 
Oct.  3,   1662,  has:  "neck  of  meadow  land  com- 
monly called  Plunder's  Neck,  bounded  on  the  east 
by    the    river    Hohosboco"     (Riker's    Annals    of 
Newtown,  p.  53). 

1 08 .  HOMES  :  a  hill  at  ' '  North  Sea, ' '  Southamp- 


On  Long  Island  73 

ton  town.  The  records  show  that  on  "Apr.  28, 
1670,  Robert  Fordham  sells  a  peice  of  land  at 
a  place  called  Whomeses"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  pp. 
3,  26).  This  tract  was  located  near  the  place  now 
known  as  "Homes1  Hill."  W.  S.  Pelletreau,  Esq., 
informs  me  that  he  never  was  able  to  find  the 
origin  of  the  name.  I  would  suggest  that  it  is 
from  the  word  corresponding  to  the  Narragansett 
homes,  "an  old  man,"  indicating  where  at  one 
time  an  old  Indian  lived.  This  word  was  also 
used  by  the  Nissequoque  tribe  as  proven  by  a 
record  of  1663,  when  Jonas  Wood — "went  to  view 
foure  Necks  of  meadow — and  there  lived  an  old 
Homes  and  his  sonne,  whose  name  was  Wane- 
quaheag"  (Munsell's  Hist.  S.  C.,  Smithtown,  p.  i). 
The  Sachem  Chice  (also  signifying  "an  old  man") 
signed  the  Southampton  Conveyance  of  1793 
(vol.  i.,  p.  5).  This  word,  according  to  Trumbull, 
characterized  old  age  as  entitled  to  respect,  and 
without  associating  the  idea  of  decrepitude,  which 
belongs  to  homes. 

109.  HOOPANINAK:  an  island  at  Flatlands, 
King's  Co.  Mentioned  in  the  Indian  deed  of 
May  13,  1664,  yiz-:  "both  of  upland  and  marshes, 
anyway  belonging  thereto,  as  the  Straun  Beach  or 
Beaches,  as  namely  that  running  out  more  westerly 
with  the  Island  adjoining,  and  is  at  the  same  time 
by  the  ocean  sea  wholly  inclosed,  called  hoopan- 
inak,  etc."  (Stiles's  Hist.  King's  Co.,]  p.  78). 


74  Indian  Place-Names 

The  Island,  "by  the  ocean  sea  wholly  inclosed," 
is  what  is  referred  to  in  this  deed.  The  word 
kupp-anahan-ak  means  "the  inclosed  or  shut  in 
island-place,"  from  hoop  corresponding  to  Dela- 
ware kuppdsk;  Massachusetts  kuppi,  "to  inclose," 
"to  shut  in";  manahan-ak,  "island  place" 
(manahan,  "island";  -ak,  "place"). 

no.  IHPETONGA:  a  name  bestowed  upon 
Brooklyn  Heights  in  the  city  of  Brooklyn  by 
Henry  R.  Schoolcraft,  who  says  "The  voca- 
bulary of  the  Mohegans  affords,  however,  a  few 
other  terms,  the  application  of  which  may  well  be 
assumed  from  their  etymology.  The  heights  of 
Brooklyn  are  graphically  described  in  the  term 
Ihpetonga;  that  is,  "high  sandy  banks"  (Gowans's 
Bibliotheca  Americana,  vol.  i.,  p.  26).  He  derives 
it  probably  from  the  Chippewa  ishpakumiga, 
"bank of  earth,"  instead  of  the  Mohegan  aspetong; 
Massachusetts  (Eliot),  aspohtag,  "a  height"; 
the  word  being  paralleled  by  the  Delaware 
achwowangeu,  "high  sandy  banks."  See  Al- 
gonqiiian  Series,  vol.  ii.,  pp.  46-49.  See  also 
Aquehonga  Manacknong. 

in.     IRABASH:  seeJabash. 

112.  JABASH:  a  cove  on  the  east  side  of  Shin- 
necock  neck  half  way  from  the  head  of  the  creek 
to  the  point.  (Letter  from  Wm.  S.  Pelletreau.) 


On  Long  Island  75 

Called  by  one  of  the  Indians  residing  on  the  neck, 
"Ir  abash  cove." 

113.  JAMAICA:  village  and  town  in  the  south- 
western part  of  Queen's  Co.  "The  name  by 
which  the  town  is  designated  has  been  variously 
accounted  for,  but  the  prevalent  opinion  is  that 
there  was  once  a  family  of  Indians  who  resided 
near  the  bay,  south  of  the  Beaver  Pond,  who  were 
known  as  the  ' Jameco'  Indians"  (Thompson's 
L.  /.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  96).  In  the  certificate  of  pur- 
chase, dated  1656,  we  find:  "Living  at  ye  new 
plantacon  neare  unto  ye  bever  pond,  comonly 
called  Jemaica"  (Thompson's L.  /.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  97). 
The  early  records  give  the  name  almost  invariably 
as  "  Yemacah. "  Variations  are  Jamaick,  1666; 
Jameca,  1678;  Jamaicah,  1696;  etc.  Flint  in  his 
Early  Long  Island  (1896,  p.  198)  gives  a  form 
Jemaco.  The  reference  to  the  Beaver  Pond  gives 
considerable  insight  into  the  origin  of  the  name 
as  does  also  the  ancient  form  of  spelling.  The 
locality  was  probably  so  designated  on  account 
of  the  beavers  found  living  at  the  pond  formed  by 
the  dam,  which  they  had  made.  The  name  is 
the  parallel  of  the  Delaware  tamaqua,  tamaque; 
Abnaki,  temd'kSe;  Narragansett,  tummock;  Massa- 
chusetts, tummunk,  "beaver."  Similar  sugges- 
tions, deriving  the  word  from  the  Mohegan 
antique,  "a  beaver,"  appeared  in  the  Brooklyn 
Standard  Union  Newspaper,  for  March  19,  1882. 


76  Indian  Place-Names 

114.  KAHAIJONGH:   a   brook   in  Islip  at  Bay 
Shore.     "About  half  mile  west  of  Orawac  brook, 
another  stream  runs  down  rejoicing  under  the  two 
names    of    Kahaijongh    and    Awixa"    (Bayles's 
Sketches  of  Suffolk   Co.).     This  is  another  form 
of  Cagoqunk  or  Cachinncak.     See  Cachinncak  and 
Cagoqunk. 

115.  KANTUCK:    a    locality    in    the    town    of 
Oyster  Bay,  Queen's  Co.     It  is  a  wild,  hilly,  and 
swampy  combination  at  the  head  of  a  large  body 
of    salt    meadow.     The    brook    Checkachagin   or 
Choggin  flows   through    the   locality.     (Informa- 
tion by  Geo.  W.  Cocks,  Esq.) 

1 1 6.  KANUNGUM:    a    pond    at    the    extreme 
northwestern  bounds  of  Southampton  town.     The 
pond  being  a  widening  of  the  Peconic  River  at 
Calverton,    Riverhead    town.     It    is    mentioned 
once   only   in   the   book   of  proprietors'  records, 
Southampton  town,  as  "Kanungum  pond"  (Let- 
ter from  Wm.  S.  Pelletreau).    Varied  as  Conun- 
gum   and    Conungam.       Prime's  Hist,   of  L.   I. 
gives   the   bounds   of   Southampton,   as   follows: 
"To   the  head  of  Peconic   Bay  thence  west  to 
Kanungum    Pond,    through    which    the    Peconic 
River    passes.     From    this    point    the    western 
bounds  is  a  straight  line  south  about  10°  to  Sea- 
tuck  creek."     The  name  denotes  "a  boundary," 
from  a  word  corresponding  to  the  Massachusetts 


On.  Long  Island  77 

(Eliot)  kuhguttum,  "determined,"  "fixed";  kuh- 
kuhguttum,  "bounds";  kuhhunhunkanash,  "the 
bounds."  The  same  name  appears  in  Massa- 
chusetts attached  to  a  pond  called  Chaubunagon- 
gum,  which  gave  the  name  to  an  Indian  village  in 
close  proximity  called  Chaubunakongkomuk,  "the 
boundary  inclosed  place,"  "boundary  village." 
See  Konkhunganik. 

117.  KASKUTENSUKEN  :   see  Castateum. 

1 1 8.  KATAWAMAKE  :  Katawamac:  Crab  Mead- 
ow, Huntington  town.     "In  December  1685,  Gov. 
Dongan  made   a   grant  to    Judge  John   Palmer 
and  John  Roy  see  of  New  York,  all  the  lands  be- 
tween Cow  Harbor  [Northport]  and  Fresh  Pond, 
bounded  south  by  the  road  to  Smithtown  and 
called  Crab  Meadow,  or  by  the  Indians  'Kata- 
wamac'       (Hon.    Chas.    R.    Street;    Munsell's 
Hist.S.C.).  On  April  21,  1702,  "Isaac  De  Riemer 
and  others  petition  for  a  tract  of  unpatented  land 
to  the  eastward  of  Huntington,  and  to  the  west- 
ward of  Nessequack,  commonly  called  by  the  In- 
dians Katawamake,  and  in  English  Crab  Meadow" 
(Land  Papers,  vol.  iii.,  p.  61,    Office   Secretary 
of  State).     See  Arhakaamunk. 

119.  KEEMISCOMOCK:   "A  little  brook  which 
divides  the  shores  of  Saghtekoos,  or  Apple  tree 
neck,  was  called  by  the  Indians  Keemiscomock,  or 


78  Indian  Place-Names 

Weepoose"  (Bayles's  Sketches  of  Suffolk  Co.,  p. 
210).  No  earlier  authority  than  the  above  has 
been  found,  and  Mr.  Bayles  was  unable  to  recall 
where  he  obtained  it.  The  name  denotes  "a 
secret  enclosed  place,"  "a  place  of  refuge."  The 
components  of  the  word  are  keemis,  corresponding 
to  Massachusetts  kemeu,  "it  is  secret";  kimi  (Del- 
aware), "secret";  kimSi  (Abnaki)  "en  cachette"; 
and  -comock  =  komuk,  "enclosed  place, "  the  second 
component. 

1 20.  KESKAECHQUEREM  :    a    village     of    the 
Canarsie  Indians,  near  Flatlands,  King's  County. 
In    1638,    "Kakapoteyno,   Menqueruan,   and   Su- 
wiran,  chiefs  of  Keskaechquerem  transferred  to  the 
Noble   Lords,   Directors  of  the  West  India  Co. 
a  peice  of  land  lying  on  Long  Island,  etc."     Also 
mentioned  in  1642  in  a  "Lease  for  a  plantation 
situate  on   the    Flatland   near  Keskaechqueren" 
(Col.  Hist.  N.    Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  pp.   14,  36).     This 
name  is  probably  related  to  the  Narragansett  (R. 
Williams's  Key,  chap,  xxviii) :  "  Keesaqunnamun,  a 
kind  of  solemne,  publicke  meeting  wherein  they 
lie  under  the  trees,  in  a  kinde  of  Religious  observa- 
tion and  have  a  mixture  of  Religion  and  sports." 
See  Algonguian  Series,  vol.  ii.,  p.  33. 

121.  KESTATEUW:  see  Castateum. 

122.  KETANOMOCKE:    Indian  village  at  Hunt- 
ington,  L.  I.     A  deed  from  Wm.  Jones  to  Robert 


On  Long  Island  79 

Seely,  Dec.  22, 1662,  says :  "  Theophilus Eaton,  Esq., 
late  Governor  of  New  Haven  Colony,  deceased,  unto 
whom  the  lands  mentioned  were  given  or  granted 
by  Rusurocon  Sagamor  of  Cutunomack  in  the  pre- 
sence of  sundry  Indians — have,  etc."  (H.  R., 
vol.  i.,  p.  43).  A  certificate  dated  Aug.  17,  1663, 
states  that  a  deed  of  Eaton's  Neck  was  given  to 
Theophilus  Eaton  in  1646,  viz.:  "we  .  .  .  testifie 
that  Resorokon  Sagamore  of  Ketanomocke  of 
Long  Island  now  called  by  the  English  Hunting- 
ton,  Did  give  and  grant  to  Theophilus  Eaton, 
Esq.  and  Governor  of  New  Haven,  etc."  (H.  R., 
vol.,  i.,  p.  49).  Also  occurs  as  Ketewomoke. 
This  was  probably  one  of  the  palisadoed  villages 
of  the  tribe  and  where  the  Sachem  Resorokon's 
big  house  or  wigwam  was  located  at  that  period 
(1646),  but  not  the  place  from  which  the  tribal 
name  of  Matinnicock  was  derived.  Resorokon,  or 
Raseokan  in  other  deeds,  is  called  the  Sagamore 
of  Matinnicoke.  Sec'y  Van  Tienhoven  of  New 
Netherlands,  1650,  wrote  of  what  is  probably  the 
village:  "the  smallest  stream  runs  up  in  front 
of  the  Indian  village,  called  Martinne  houck, 
where  they  have  their  plantations.  This  tribe 
is  not  strong  and  consists  of  about  30  families. 
There  were  formerly  in  and  about  this  bay,  great 
numbers  of  Indian  Plantations,  which  now  lie 
waste  and  vacant"  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol.  i.,  p. 
366).  This  name  must  be  assigned  to  Trumbull's 
Class  3,  i.e.,  "those  formed  from  verbs,  denoting 


8o  Indian  Place-Names 

a  place  where  the  action  of  the  verb  is  performed. " 
The  first  part  ketan  (Narragansett  kitthan) 
signifies  "the  sea";  -om  is  the  verb  of  motion  in 
its  simple  form;-mMck  having  the  termination 
of  the  third  person  singular  of  the  conditional 
present  passive,  "where  or  when  a  thing  is." 
Hence  we  have  Ketan-om-muck,  "where  the  sea 
flows,"  "the  shore,"  or  "beach."  Ruttenber 
confuses  this  name  with  that  of  Crab  Meadow. 
See  Arhakaamunk. 

123.  KETCHAPONACK  :  a  neck  of  land  in  the 
western  part  of  Southampton  town  on  Quantuck 
Creek,  West  Hampton  Post  Office.  It  is  first 
found  recorded  in  1663,  viz.:  "Whereas  Capt. 
Scott  and  ye  town  committee  agreed  for  Quaquan- 
antuck  without  specifying  in  the  agreement  or 
Indenture  that  he  reserved  5  acres  of  salt  marsh  in 
Ketcheponack  neck,"  etc.  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  38). 
Variations  are  Catchponack,  1681;  Catchaponack 
1683;  Ketchaponack,  1732;  Ketchabonack,  1738; 
Ketchabonnack,  1782;  Dr.  J.  H.  Trumbull,  by 
mistake,  locates  the  neck  on  Shinnecock  Bay, 
viz.:  " Ketchaponock,  Catchebonnuc,  a  neck  on 
Shinnecock  Bay,  Southampton,  was  a  'place  of 
the  largest  roots '  (kehche- pen-auk] ,  i.  e. ,  the  largest 
species  of  esculent  roots  found  in  that  neighbor- 
hood. In  some  parts  of  the  country  the  name 
would  indicate  the  yellow  water  lily  (Nuphar 
advena),  Josselyn's  'water  lily  with  yellow  flowers; 


On  Long  Island  81 

the  Indians  eat  the  roots,  which  are  long  in 
boiling.  They  taste  like  the  liver  of  a  sheep' 
(N.  E.  Rarities,  p.  44).  The  Long  Island  kehche- 
pen  may  have  been  the  Arrowhead  (Sagittaria), 
the  katness  of  the  Delaware  Indians,  the  root  of 
which  is  sometimes  'as  big  as  a  man's  fist.'  It 
was  eaten  either  boiled  or  roasted;  its  name  was 
transferred  by  the  Indians  to  the  turnip,  intro- 
duced by  Europeans"  (Mag.  Amer.  Hist.,  vol.  i., 
pp.  386-7).  W.  S.  Pelletreau,  Esq.  (Ind.  Geog. 
Names  in  Suffolk  Co.,  1883)  translates  it  as  "land 
where  the  great  ground-nuts  grow."  John  Smith 
in  his  Generall  Historic  of  Virginia  (  1624, 
Book  I,  p.  17)  says:  "ground-nuts  as  big  as 
egges,  as  good  as  potatoes,  and  40  on  a  string, 
not  two  inches  under  ground,  were  found  on  the 
Elizabeth  Islands  off  the  Coast  of  New  England, 
during  Capt.  Gosnell's  voyage,  1602."  See  Aca- 
bonack,  Sagaponack,  and  Seponack. 

124.  KETUMPSCUT:  "President  Stiles,  on  the 
authority  of  Adam  Babcock,  Esq.  in  1671,  gives 
this  as  the  Indian  name  of  the  west  end  of  Fisher's 
Island ;  but  it  belonged  originally  at  the  east  end 
(modern  Catumb  reef)   and  means   'at  the  great 
rock;'  keht-ompsk-ut"  (Trumbull's  Indian  Names 
in  Conn.).     See  Catumb. 

125.  KILLIS:  a  pond  at  Bridgehampton,  South- 
ampton   town.     According    to    Prime's    History 


82  Indian  Place-Names 

of  Long  Island,  this  name  is  derived  from  an 
Indian  who  formerly  lived  near  the  pond.  An- 
other tradition  is  that  it  is  the  name  of  an  Indian 
who  was  drowned  in  its  waters.  Killis  still  sur- 
vives among  the  Shinnecocks  as  a  family  name, 
but  Wm.  S.  Pelletreau,  Esq.,  informed  the  wrriter 
that  this  was  a  corruption  of  "Achilles."  On 
searching  the  old  records,  Prime's  statement  is 
found  to  be  in  error  and  that  the  name  was 
originally  derived  from  "John  Kelly,"  or  "Kel- 
lie,"  who  was  allotted  land  in  this  neighborhood; 
the  early  form  being  "Kellie's  Pond." 

126.  KIOSHK:  Ellis'  Island,  New  York  Harbor, 
means  "Gull  Island."     The  name  was  taken  from 
the  Chippewa  and  bestowed  upon  the  Island  by 
Henry  R.  Schoolcraft  in  1845  (Gowans's  Biblio- 
theca    Americana).     In     Chippewa,     "gull"     is 
gaiashk  or  kaiashk,  corresponding  to  Cree,  kiydsk. 

127.  KISCASUTTA:   "a  point  of  trees"  on  the 
great  plain,  N.  E.  of  Hempstead.     Mentioned  in 
a  land  grant   to    Robert  Williams,  1666  (Town 
patents,  vol.   i.,  pp.   69,    70,   Office   of   Sec'y  of 
State,  Albany,  N.  Y.).     This  point  of  trees  is 
frequently  referred   to  in   many   of    the  ancient 
documents   relating   to   the   boundaries   between 
the  towns  of  Hempstead  and  Oyster  Bay.     First 
in  the  confirmation  of  the  sale  of  Hempstead  by 
the  Indians,  May  II,  1658,  viz.:  "Pointe  of  Trees 


On  Long  Island  83 

adjoining  to  the  land  of  Robert  Williams  where 
we  left  marked  trees"  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol. 
xiv.,  p.  416).  In  testimony  before  the  Governor 
in  relation  to  land  claimed  by  Tackapousha,  the 
Massapeage  Sachem,  June  22,  1677,  Mr.  Gilder- 
sleeve,  aged  about  76,  testifies:  "And  the  East 
line  at  a  Pointe  of  trees  that  parts  Robert  Williams 
and  us  where  the  Indians  marked  some  trees  and 
from  ye  marked  trees  northward"  (Col.  Hist. 
N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  729).  Kiscasutta  is  the  Long 
Island  equivalent  of  the  Delaware  (Zeisberger) 
inshasu,  "to  mark";  giskhasu,  "to  chop";  -ittuck 
"trees";  thus  "marked  trees,"  "trees  chopped" 
or  "blazed"  for  a  boundary  mark,  as  referred  to 
in  the  above  testimony  of  Mr.  Gildersleeve.  See 
Cantiaque  and  Cantasquntah. 

128.  KISSENA:   a   pond  at  Flushing,  Queen's 
Co.     This  is  not  a  Long  Island  name,  but  a  later- 
naming    of  a  pretty    sheet    of    water    from   the 
Chippewa  (Baraga)  kissina,  "it  is  cold." 

129.  KITCHAMINCHOK,     Ketchininchoge:     now 
called  Moriches  Island,  on  the  north  shore  of  the 
Great  South  Bay,  at  East  Moriches.     It  is  sepa- 
rated from  the  mainland  by  a  very  narrow  strait, 
and  contains  about  50  acres  of  land  and  meadow 
with  a  small  pond.     On  July  28,  1659,  Wiandance, 
Sachem  of  Pawmanack,  sold  to  Lyon  Gardiner 
"all  the  bodys  and  bones  of  all  the  whales  that 


84  Indian  Place-Names 

shall  come  upon  the  land,  or  come  ashore,  from 
the  place  called  Kitchaminf choke,  unto  the  place 
called  Enoughquamuck,  only  the  fins  and  tayles, 
of  all  we  reserve  for  ourselves  and  Indians  with 
the  consent  of  Wannuggeashcum  [Winecroscum] 
and  Tawbaughauz  [Tobacus]  Sachems  of  the  places 
aforesaid"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  34).  Examination 
of  the  original  word  shows  that  the  (f)  is  intrusive, 
and  an  error  of  the  printer.  It  is  also  mentioned 
in  the  will  of  Col.  Matthew  Howell  (Oct.  13,  1704) 
who  leaves  "son  Israel  y$  of  y2  of  an  Island 
called  Ketchininchoge"  (Pelletreau's  Abstracts  of 
Wills,  Sea-Side  Times,  Southampton,  Sept.  27, 
1888).  This  name  is  a  simple  boundary  designa- 
tion, no  doubt  bestowed  at  the  time  the  grant 
was  given.  The  first  component,  kitcha  (ketchi, 
cochi,  chike]  connotes  "a  going  on  from  a  begin- 
ning"; cognate  with  Massachusetts  kutche,  "it 
begins";  Narragansett  kitche,  it  "begins,"  etc. 
The  other  component  -minchok,  -menchoake  is 
the  Montauk  munchoage,  "an  island."  Hence  the 
name  Kitche-minchoake,  "the  beginning  island," 
which  is  a  good  etymology.  See  Cochiminchoake. 

130.  KONKHUNGANIK  :  the  name  of  the  south- 
ern part  of  Fort  Pond,  Montauk,  Easthampton 
town,  generally  applied  by  historians  to  the  whole 
part.  First  noted  in  the  Indian  deed  of  1661, 
viz.:  "All  the  peice  or  neck  of  land  belonging  to 
Montauk  land  westward  to  a  fresh  pond  in  a 


On  Long'  Island  85 

beach,  the  name  of  the  pond  being  Quanuntowunk 
on  the  north  and  Konkhunganik  on  the  south," 
(Hedges's  Address,  1849).  It  appears  also  as 
Konhhonganik  (Ranger's  Deeds,  1850).  Other 
variations  are  Kongonock,  Konkhonganik  (original 
deed  in  possession  of  the  Bensons),  Konhhon- 
ganik, Konk-hong-anok,  Konhunganock,  being  er- 
roneous multiplications  from  the  original  record. 
This  pond  was  the  eastern  limit  of  the  grant,  and 
the  exact  line  was  defined  by  a  fence,  which  the 
Indians  by  the  terms  of  the  deed  were  obliged 
"to  secure  on  ye  southside  of  ye  aforesaid  pond, 
from  all  Cattle,  During  the  time  their  corn  is  upon 
the  ground."  A  fence  still  stands,  as  it  has  done 
for  the  past  two  hundred  years,  on  the  same  line. 
The  name  Konkhunganik  signifies  "at  the  bound- 
ary," or  "  to  the  line, "  the  parallel  of  the  following 
Algonkian terms,  Massachusetts,  kuhkuheganit,  "to 
the  line"  (Eliot:  Isaiah,  xxviii.,  17);  kukhun- 
hunkganish,  "the  bounds"  (Acts xvii.,  26) ;  kuhkoh- 
hamoonk,  "by  line"  (Psalms  Ixxviii.,  55) ;  Delaware 
(Zeisberger)  kikhican,  "boundary";  Chippewa 
(Baraga)  kikaigan,  "mark  to  guide  travellers." 
See  Kanungum  and  Ronkonkoma. 

131.  LIGONEE:  a  swamp  and  brook  at  Sag 
Harbor.  The  brook,  flowing  from  Long  Pond 
into  the  cove  at  the  "North  side,"  is  the  south- 
western boundary  of  the  corporate  limits  of  the 
village  and  has  been  a  famous  place  for  alewife 


86  Indian  Place-Names 

fishing  for  many  years.  The  brook  is  not  natural 
but  dug  by  the  fisherman.  I  find  it  on  record  in 
1726,  viz.:  "Laying  out  of  Highway  from  Sage 
to  ye  harbor  and  so  runs  in  that  road  near  ye  east 
end  of  ye  Long  pond  and  to  run  northward  to  ye 
slade  that  conies  up  from  ye  head  of  Liganee 
swamp"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  192).  Variations 
are  Leganee  1733;  Litganee,  1849.  This  name  is 
not  Indian,  as  has  been  supposed,  but  English 
folk-lore,  from  a  man  who  sank  in  the  swamp 
"Leg  an'  knee."  There  are  many  names  here- 
abouts of  similar  origin,  like  "Soak  hides," 
"Scuttle-hole,"  etc. 

132.  LUSAM:  "Jericho   (Oyster  Bay),  the  In- 
dian name  of  which  is  Lusam,  is  a  pleasant  village 
near  the  centre  of  the  town,  upon  the  Jericho 
turnpike  road,  27  miles  from  the  city  of  New 
York"  (Thompson's  L.  I.,  vol.  i.,  p.  504).     In 
1682,  the  Indians  sell  to  John  Townsend:   "50 
acres  on  east  side  of  cartway  from  Muskceta  Cove 
to  ye  farme  called  Lusam  or  Robert  Williams  plan- 
tation."    In  1689,  is  mentioned  "Sarah  Williams, 
widow  of  Robert  Williams  of  Jericho  alias  Lusam. " 
Thompson  probably  derives  his  authority  from 
these  records.     The  name  is  probably  not  Indian, 
but  a  contraction  from  the  name  of  a  village  in 
England  called  Lewisham,  now  a  part  of  London. 

133.  MACUTTERIS:    a    locality    at    Flatlands, 


On  Long  Island  87 

King's  Co.  Mentioned  in  the  Indian  deed  of 
May  13,  1664,  viz.:  "both  of  upland  and  marshes, 
anyway  belonging  thereto,  as  the  Straun  Beach 
or  Beaches,  as  namely  that  running  out  more 
westerly,  with  the  Island  adjoining  and  is  at  the 
same  time  by  the  ocean  sea  wholly  inclosed, 
called  hoopaninak  and  shanscomacocke  and  macut- 
teris,  etc."  (Stiles's  Hist.  King's  Co.,  p.  78).  This 
word  is  probably  related  to  the  Narragansett 
moskituash,  "a  meadow,"  and  the  name  refers 
to  the  marshes  sold  in  the  above  deed. 

134.  MADNANS,  Madnank:  Great  Neck,  North 
Hempstead,  Queen's  Co.     Thompson  says:  "The 
name  of  Great  Neck  was  Madnank  called  by  the 
early    settlers    Madnans"    (Proceedings,    N.   Y. 
Hist.    Soc.,    1845).     The    early   forms    Madnans 
or  Mad-Nans  in  1672  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv., 
p.  667)   suggest  that  the  name  is  not  of  Indian 
origin,  but  may  have  been  so-called  from  some 
crazy  squaw  or  white  woman.     Again,  Madnank 
may  be  abbreviated  from  a  longer  name,  for  it 
seems  to  contain  the  inseparable  generic  adene, 
"hill,"  and  auke,  "land,"  or  "place,"  signifying 
therefore  some  kind  of  a  "hilly  place." 

135.  MAHCHONGITCHUGE  :    a    swamp    in    the 
North    Neck,    Montauk.     This    name    is    found 
recorded  in  the  Indian  deed  of  1670,  for  the  land 
between  the  ponds  as  follows:   "from  thence  to 


88  Indian  Place-Names 

the  swamp  where  the  hay  stacks  stood  called 
Mahchongitchuge,  and  so  through  the  swamp  to 
the  great  pond"  (Hedges's  Address,  1849).  It 
appears  also  as  Mahchongitchigo  (Ranger's  Deeds, 
1 850) .  This  name  is  susceptible  of  two  definitions, 
if  we  apply  the  Algonkian  mode  of  compounding 
names:  Mahchong  —  machaug  (Narragansett,  R. 
Williams),  "a  swamp;"  -itchug,  either  Massa- 
chusetts muskechoge,  "a  place  of  rushes,"  or 
chip-pitchoge,  "a  place  of  separation,"  "a  turn- 
ing place,"  from  the  fact  of  its  being  a  bound- 
mark.  The  last  may  be  nearer  correct  and  denote 
"the  swamp  place  of  separation." 

136.  MAKEOPACA:  a  locality  at  Gravesend, 
King's  Co.  Mentioned  in  the  Indian  deed  of 
July  20,  1684:  "For  a  certain  parcel  of  land 
commonly  called  by  the  Indians  Makeopaca, 
beginning  at  the  most  eastward  end  of  the  beach 
called  by  the  Indians  Moeung,  bounded  on  the 
westmost  side  by  the  land  heretofore  purchased 
from  Chippahig,  and  on  the  eastward  side  by  a 
creek  commonly  called  the  Strome  Kill,  and  soe 
along  from  the  head  of  said  creek,  through  the 
middle  of  the  meadow  and  valley  till  they  come 
to  a  white-oak  tree  standing  by  the  Flatland 
wagon  path  and  soe  running  to  another  white-oak 
tree  standing  by  Utrecht  wagon  path,  and  soe 
on  a  direct  line  to  the  Flatbush  fence,  and  upon 
the  west  side  bounded  by  the  field  of  Utrecht" 


On  Lon§£  Island  89 

(Stiles's  Hist.  King's  Co.,  p.  162).  This  was  a 
large  tract  of  land,  probably  cleared  for  cultiva- 
tion by  the  whites  before  its  purchase  or  else  clear 
naturally.  The  name  denotes  "a  great  clearing" 
or  ' '  openfield.' '  The  components  corresponding  to 
Delaware  mecha;  Massachusetts,  masha,  "great"; 
paca  =  pauqu-auke, ' '  open  land. ' '  Trumbull  shows 
this  Algonkian  name  curiously  disguised  in 
Tippecanoe  (Kentucky  and  Indiana)  which  is  a 
corrupted  abbreviation  of  Kehti-paquonunk,  "at 
the  great  clearing,"  the  site  of  an  Indian  town 
on  the  Wabash  River.  Filson  (Hist,  of  Kentucky) 
wrote  it:  Kathtippacanunck.  J.  P.  Dunn,  how- 
ever (Handb.  of  Amer.  Inds.  N.  of  Mex.,  vol.  i., 
I9°7»  P-  759)'  thinks  that  Tippecanoe  is  forKitdp- 
wdnunk,  "buffalo-fish  place,"  the  river  at  that 
place  being  named  by  the  Miami  Indians  from 
kitdpkwan,  "buffalo-fish"  (A.  F.  c.). 

137.  MAMANOCK:  a  neck  of  land  at  East 
Moriches,  Brookhaven  town.  On  Sept.  25,  1693, 
Aug.  Graham  surveyed  for  Doctor  Henry  Taylor 
and  another  "two  necks  of  land  called  by  ye  name 
of  Marigies  and  Mamanock."  A  deed  of  1691 
mentions  Meritces  and  Mamanok  Necks  lying 
together  (Thompson's  L.  I.,  vol.  i.,  p.  417). 
Other  variations  are  Maritches  and  Mamannuck, 
1697.  The  first  component  of  this  name,  maman, 
signifies  "to  join, "  "to  unite, "  as  in  the  Chippewa 
mamawissin,  "it  joins  together";  the  other  com- 


QO  Indian  Place-Names 

ponent  is  the  locative  -ock  or  -auke.  The  name, 
therefore,  signifies  "land  united  or  joined  (to 
some  other  tract),"  as  in  the  above,  it  was  "land 
joined  to  Meritces  Neck."  See  Moriches. 

138.  MANANTIC:  a  neck  and  creek  in  the  west- 
ern part  of  Shelter  Island.     The  name  is  tradi- 
tional, found  only  on  the  maps  of  the  Island  and  in 
local  parlance.     It  is  pronounced  Me'nan'tic  by 
the  Shelter  Island  people.     This  is  not  the  parallel 
of  Delaware  menantic,  "a  spruce  or  cedar  swamp" 
(as  some  might  suppose),  but  describes  the  creek, 
which  has  a  small  island  at  its  outlet;  viz. :  Manan, 
1 '  an  island ' ' ;  -tic  =  -tuck, ' l  a  tidal  stream. ' '    Hence 
"an  island  creek"  is  the  meaning  of  Manantic. 

139.  MANCHONACK:   Gardiner's   Island,   East 
Hampton  town.     The  island  is  so  named  in  the 
Indian  deed  to  Lyon  Gardiner,  May  3,  1639,  as 
follows:  "knowe  all  men  by  these  presents,  that 
we  Yovawan  Sachem  of  Pommanocc  and  Aswaw 
Sachem  his  wife  for  ten  coats  of  trading  cloath 
to  us  before  the  making  hereof  payed  and  delivered 
by  Lion  Gardiner  commander  of  the  forte  called 
Saybrook  fort  als  Pashpeshauks  at  the  mouth  of  the 
River  of  Kennecticut  doe  hereby  for  us  and  our 
heirs  and  successors  grant,  bargaine  and  sell  unto 
the  said  Lion  Gardiner  all  that  our  Island  called 
Manchonat"    (Lechford's    Note    Book,    Arch&o- 
logia  Americana,  vol.  vii.,  pp.  207,  208).     Variants 


On  Long  Island  91 

are  Manchonacke,  1639;  Monchoneck,  1655;  Man- 
chonacke,  1659;  Monchongamuc,  1840.  On  Gar- 
diner's Island  is  preserved  an  old  memorandum 
book,  containing  the  vocabulary  of  the  Montauks 
given  to  Lyon  Gardiner,  the  7th  Proprietor, 
March  25,  1798,  by  George  Pharaoh,  then  aged  66, 
and  the  chief  of  this  tribe.  In  this  short  list  of 
words  is  Mashongonoc  (Gardiner's  Island),  "a 
place  where  a  vast  number  of  people  had  died  of 
a  distemper."  Gardiner  wrote  on  another  page, 
Oct.  1802:  "The  Isle  of  Wight  or  Gardiner's 
Island  in  Indian  is  pronounced  Mashong-o-noc 
and  spelled  in  old  writings  Manchannock — man 
signifies  Island — and  the  remainder  signifies  a 
place  where  many  people  had  died.  The  Indians 
on  Montauk  have  a  tradition  that  a  little  before 
the  English  came  a  distemper  had  carried  off 
nearly  all  the  Indians, — they  say  it  was  not  the 
small-pox,  perhaps  yellow  fever."  This  meaning 
is  probably  the  correct  one.  The  name  is  derived 
from  the  same  radical  as  Narragansett  man- 
chanhom,  "the  dead  man";  literally,  "he  has 
gone;"  Massachusetts,  moncheog  (Eliot),  "we 
departed";  monchu  (Eliot),  "go  ye";  monche- 
Omwog  (Eliot),  "they  have  gone."  This  makes 
Mancheog-0-auke — "land  of  the  departed." 

140.  MANETUCK:  a  neck  of  land  in  Islip  town, 
west  of  Bay  Shore.  On  "Sept.  I,  1701,  the 
Indians  sell  to  Thomas  Willets  two  necks  of  land 


92  Indian  Place-Names 

called  Manetuc  and  Watchogue,  bounded  west  by 
the  river  called  Compawams,  east  by  the  river 
Watchogue,  south  by  the  salt  bay,  and  to  extend 
northward,  keeping  the  full  breadth  of  said  necks, 
as  far  as  the  north  side  of  the  pines"  (Thomp- 
son's L.  /.,  vol.  i.,  p.  447);  also  a  deed  of  March 
2,  1705,  by  the  Van  Cortlandts  to  John  Mowbray, 
"bounded  east  by  neck  called  Marihtak. "  Varia- 
tions are  Manetuc,  Mantash,  Manshtak,  Marihtak, 
Manetuck,  etc.  I,  at  one  time,  considered  this  a  form 
of  Manatuck,  a  name  given  to  hills  throughout 
New  England,  and  denoting  "a  place  of  observa- 
tion," "a  look  out"  (Trumbull).  This  meaning 
would  not  apply  to  this  neck  of  land,  as  far  as  its 
hilly  qualities  are  concerned.  I  now  regard  it  as 
corresponding  to  Delaware  menantak,  "a  pine 
swamp";  Zeisberger  gives  menantac,  "a  spruce, 
pine  or  cedar  swamp."  This  fully  describes  the 
neck  and  this  etymology  seems  to  be  confirmed 
by  the  mention  of  "pines"  in  the  earliest  deed. 

141.    MANHANSACK  -  AHAQUATUWAMOCK  :     the 

full  Indian  appellation  of  Shelter  Island.  The 
earliest  record  we  have  been  able  to  find  is  dated 
March  23,  1652,  viz.:  "We  whose  names  are  here 
underneath  subscribed  doe  -hereby  testify  and 
declare  that  Yokee  formerly  Sachem  of  Man- 
hansick  ahaquatuwamock  now  called  Shelter  Island 
did  on  the  three  and  twentieth  of  March  1652,  give 
full  Possession  unto  Capt.  Nathaniel  Silvester 


On  Long  Island  93 

and  Ensigne  John  Booth  of  the  aforesaid  Island 
of  Ahaquatuwamock  with  all  that  belonged  to  the 
same"  (S.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  158).  Again  in  1656: 
"all  that  their  Islands  of  Ahaquatuwamuck  other- 
wise called  Menhansack"  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p. 
97) ;  Menhansack-ahaquashu-wornock  (Thompson's 
L.  I.) ;  Man-han-sac-kah-aquash-fj-om-uk  (Hors- 
ford),  ''Island  at  the  river  mouth  and  sheltered 
much  stockade  place."  Traditionally,  "an  island 
sheltered  by  islands,"  is  an  offhand  translation 
and  nearer  right  than  Horsford's  labored  meaning. 
The  name  is  made  up  as  follows:  Menhansack  or 
menhansett,  "the  island  neighborhood;  "ahaquatu, 
"sheltered"  or  "covered,"  cognate  with  Dela- 
ware ehachquihasu,  "clad,"  "covered";  Massa- 
chusetts, onkiowohquassv  (Eliot),  "a  shelter"; 
Micmac,  apkoouase,  "to  take  shelter."  The 
terminal  affix  -amuck,  "a  fishing  place,"  occurs 
more  often  than  -omuk,  "a  place  limited."  I 
therefore  make  the  name  Manhan-es-et-ahaquas- 
s®-amuck,  "the  island  neighborhood  much  shel- 
tered their  fishing  place. "  See  Algonquian  Series, 
vol.  vii.,  pp.  25-30,  for  a  discussion  of  this  word. 
See  also  Manhansett. 

142.  MANHANSETT:  name  by  which  Shelter 
Island  is  generally  known.  An  entry  dated  May 
8,  1656,  says: — "And  whereas  the  said  James 
ff  arrest  by  deed  under  hand  and  seale  bearing  date 
the  eighteenth  of  May  one  Thousand  six  hundred 


94  Indian  Place-Names 

ffortie  and  one  .  .  .  conveyed  unto  Stephen 
Goodyear  of  New  Haven,  Merchant  his  heirs  and 
assigns  forever  the  aforesaid  Island  of  Menhan- 
sack"  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  96).  Variants  are 
Munhansett,  1648;  Manhansett,  1657;  Manhan- 
sack,  1665.  The  name  has  been  interpreted  by 
Prof.  E.  W.  Horsford  as  "island  at  the  river 
mouth."  The  early  form  shows  this  to  be  an 
error,  for  the  reason  that  the  affix  is  not  -sec  or 
-suck,  but  is  the  diminutive  -es-et,  "at,"  "about," 
etc.  That  of  1652,  Manhansick  is  evidently  an 
error  of  spelling,  for  Amagansett  occurs  with  the 
same.  Besides  Shelter  Island  is  not  by  any 
possibility  "land  at  a  river  mouth,"  but  "island 
land,  or  neighborhood"  describes  it  perfectly. 
See  the  previous  name.  See  Manhansack-Aha- 
quatuwamock  and  Manhasset. 

143.  MANHANSUCK :  a  brook  in  Southold  town, 
now  called  Pipe's  Neck  Creek.  It  flows  into  the 
harbor  just  west  of  Greenport  and  has  a  small 
island  of  woods  at  its  mouth.  It  is  mentioned 
in  Farrett's  deed  to  Richard  Jackson,  Aug.  15, 
1640,  as  follows:  "ffifty  acres  of  meadow  and 
upland  lying  and  being  uppon  the  north  of  the 
River  called  Manhansuck  in  Long  Island,  to  the 
eastward  of  the  place  commonly  called  the  ffive 
wigwams"  (S.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  112).  As  copied  from 
the  original  record,  the  name  is  Manhansuck. 
The  late  J.  Wickham  Case  says,  "The  place 


On  Long  Island  95 

called  the  'Five  Wigwams'  has  lost  all  marks 
of  identification.  It  may  have  been  upon  Pipe's 
Neck,  but  I  am  inclined  to  think  it  was  upon  the 
small  island  of  woods,  belonging  now  to  the  estate 
of  Jeremiah  Moore,  deed.,  at  the  mouth  of  Pipe's 
Neck  Creek"  (S.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  113,  Note).  The 
wigwams  £ould  not  have  been  located  on  the 
island,  for  it  was  the  small  island  that  gave  the 
name  to  the  creek,  viz.:  Manhan-suck,  "an  island 
brook,"  or  "island  at  the  outlet,"  from  manhan 
"island";,  -suck,  "brook,"  "outlet."  I  think  the 
five  wigwams  were  on  Hashamomuk  Neck.  See 
Sonnquoquas. 

144.  MANHASSET:   a   name  now   given   to   a 
village,  and  to  the  neck  of  land  formerly  called 
Cow    Neck,    Oyster    Bay,    Queen's    Co.     "Cow 
Neck,  celebrated  for  its  fine  pasture  lands,  has 
become  by   some    strange   metamorphosis   Man- 
hasset,  the  name  of  an  Indian  tribe  once  inhabit- 
ing Shelter  Island"   (Thompson's  L.  /.,  vol.  ii., 
p.  302).     Prime  derives  the  name  from  the  same 
source.     See  Manhansett. 

145.  MANHATTAN:  an  Island  and  Borough  of 
that  great  civic  consolidation,  New  York  City. 
The  earliest  appearance  of  the  name  is  on  a  map 
discovered  in  the  general  archives  of  Simancas, 
Spain,  made  in  1607  (Brown's  Genesis  of  the  U.  S., 
p.  456),  where  it  is  given  as  Manahatin,  which  I 


96  Indian  Place-Names 

regard  as  a  very  pure  form.  The  "Carte  Figura- 
tive" of  1616  has  it  Manhattes,  and  so  in  1626, 
when  purchased  from  the  Indians.  The  other 
variations  are:  Manahatas,  1630;  Munatthans, 
1631;  Manhattos,  1632;  Manhutton,  1633;  Man- 
hattans, 1637,  etc.  Heckewelder  wrote:  "It  is 
added  in  return  for  their  civilities  the  natives 
were  made  to  taste  intoxicating  drinks,  and  that 
in  order  to  commemorate  the  event  they  called 
the  Island  thereafter  Mannahattanink,  'the  place 
of  drunkenness  of  madness  from  drinking.'  : 
Schoolcraft,  however,  in  a  report  on  aboriginal 
names  (Trans.,  N.  Y.  Hist.  Soc.,  1844)  asserts 
this  to  be  "sheer  inference,  unsupported  by 
philology,"  and  gives  as  the  correct  name  of  the 
Island,  Monahtanuk,  descriptive  of  the  whirlpool 
at  Hellgate.  Thus  do  two  noted  linguists  dis- 
agree,— when  in  fact  both  are  wrong.  Benson, 
in  his  memorial  (read  before  the  N.  Y.  Hist.  Soc. 
in  1816)  gives  the  meaning  as  being  the  "town  on 
the  Island,"  and  quotes  extracts  to  prove  it,  viz.: 
"town  of  Manhattan,'"  "townsmen  of  the  Manhat- 
toes,"  etc.  The  true  etymology  is  indicated  by 
the  early  form  from  Spanish  sources,  viz. :  Mana- 
hatin,  from  manah  "an  island,"  -atin,  "a  hill," 
"the  hill  island."  Other  etymologies  have  been 
suggested,  none  of  which  are  acceptable.  For  a 
full  study  of  this  name,  see  Algonguian  Series, 
vol.  i.  See  also  Brooklyn  Eagle  Almanac,  1897, 
pp.  279-283. 


On  Long  Island  97 

146.  MANISSES:  Block  Island,  Long  Island 
Sound.  In  Lyon  Gardiner's  Relation  of  the 
Pequot  War,  Miantemonie,  the  Narragansett 
Sachem,  is  reported  to  have  said  to  the  Mon- 
tauks:  "I  am  come  to  you  privately  first,  be- 
cause you  can  persuade  the  Indians  and  Sachem 
to  what  you  will,  and  I  will  send  over  fifty  In- 
dians to  Manisses  and  thirty  to  you  from  thence, 
and  take  an  hundred  of  the  Shinnecock  Indians 
with  an  hundred  of  your  own  here,  and  when  you 
see  the  three  fires  that  will  be  made  forty  days 
hence,  in  a  clear  night,  then  do  as  we,  and  the 
next  day  fall  on  and  kill  men,  women,  and  children, 
but  no  cows,  for  they  will  serve  to  eat  till  our  deer 
be  increased  again."  The  Indians  of  Manisses 
were  frequent  visitors  to  the  Montauks.  This 
was  made  a  point  of  in  Ayres's  Legends  of 
Montauk  (1849): 

"But  yester-e'en,  the  sun  went  down 
Upon  Manisses'  walls  of  stone, 
Where  I  with  three  brave  followers  came 
To  watch  the  evening's  dying  flame." 

Parsons's  Indian  Names  of  Places  in  Rhode  Island 
(1861)  gives  the  name  as  "  Monasses,  Island  of 
the  little  god,"  but  the  signification  given  by 
Trumbull  is  no  doubt  the  true  one,  viz. :  Manisses, 
"little  island"  from  the  diminutive  munnoh-es. 


98  Indian  Place-Names 

147.  MANITTUWOND:  Plum  Island,   Southold 
town.      Roger  Williams,  in  1637,  writes  to  Gov- 
ernor Vane:  "ThePequts  are  scarce  of  provision, 
&  therefore  (as  usually  so  now  especially)  they 
are  in  some  numbers  come  down  to  the  seaside 
(&  2  Islands  by  name  Munnawtawkit  &  Manit- 
tuwond  especially)  to  take  sturgeon  &  other  fish, 
as  all  so  to  make  new  fields  of  corne,  in  case  the 
English   should    destroy   their   fields    at   home" 
(Mass.  Hist.  Soc.  Coll.,  vol.  vi.,  4th  series,   pp. 
189-190).     Dr.   J.   Hammond    Trumbull,   in    his 
Indian  Names    in    Connecticut,  offers  no  inter- 
pretation of  this  name.      I  would  suggest  that 
it   is    derived    from  what    they  did  there,   viz. : 
"to  make  new  fields  of  corne."     The  same  root 
is  found  in  the  Narragansett  aukeeteaumen  and 
quttdunemun,     "to    plant    corn."     Manittuwond 
signifies,    therefore,    "an    island   to   which    they 
went   to  plant   corn."     Compare  the  Delaware, 
minihaking,  "corn  land";  Chippewa,  manddmini- 
kitigan,       "Indian    corn    field";    Massachusetts 
eachi-min-ineatu-konash,  "corn  fields"  (St.  Luke 
vi,  i).     See  Munnawtawkit. 

148.  MANNAHANNING:  Coney  Island,   King's 
Co.      In  the   Indian  release   of    May   7,    1654: 
"the  said  Guttaquoh,  acknowledges  to  have  sould 
all  his  right  and  clayme  to  said  land  called  Nar- 
riock  (the  Island)  and  Mannahaning  (the  neck) ' ' 
(Thompson's  L.  I.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  175).     The  above  in 


On  Long  Island  99 

parentheses  is  probably  an  error  of  Mr.  Thomp- 
son's. They  should  be  reversed.  Narriock,  "a. 
point  of  land, "  applies  to  the  neck;  Mannahaning, 
"land  on  the  island,"  or  "island  land,"  to  the 
island  only.  See  Minnahanonck. 

149.  MANNATTO:  a  high  hill  and  hamlet, 
Oyster  Bay,  Queen's  Co.  We  find  it  first  on  re- 
cord in  the  Indian  deed  of  Aug.  18,  1695,  f°r  the 
tract  known  as  the  Bethpage  purchase,  viz.: 
"att  a  dirty  hole  upon  ye  Brushy  plaines,  near 
Mannatto  Hill,  from  thence  up  a  hollow  on  ye 
south  side  of  Mannatto  Hill,"  etc.  (Thompson's 
L.  /.,  vol.  i.,  p.  507).  Furman  gives  it  as  Manet 
or  Manetta  Hill,  and  says:  "It  is  Manitou  Hill 
or  'hill  of  the  great  spirit.'  '  He  gives  a  tradi- 
tional story  to  account  for  the  origin  of  the  name 
(Antiquities  of  L.  /.).  This  is  probably  as  true 
as  most  of  the  traditional  signification  given  to 
many  of  the  Long  Island  Indian  names,  being 
founded  on  fancy  without  a  grain  of  fact.  The 
name  signifies  "a  hill  surpassing  others  in  the 
same  vicinity,"  being  derived  from  mon,  "sur- 
passing," and  attin,  "a  hill,"  hence  "the  sur- 
passing or  wonderful  hill."  Mount  Monadnock 
in  New  Hampshire  gets  its  name  from  Mon- 
adn-ock,  ("land  or  country  of  the  surpassing 
mountain";  mon,  "surpassing";  adn,  "hill  or 
mountain";  ock,  auke,  "land  or  country"),  being 
thus  a  parallel  to  Mannatto.  See  the  discussion  of 


loo  Indian  Place-Names 

Monadnock   in   the   Journal  of  American   Folk- 
Lore,  vol.  xvii.,  1904,  pp.  172-174. 

150.  MANOWTASSQUOT  :  a  creek  on  the  bound- 
ary between  the  towns  of  Islip  and  Brookhaven. 
It  has  been  designated  by  all  the  Long  Island 
historians  as  the  Indian  name  of  Blue  Point,  but 
it  belonged  originally  to  the  creek  or  river  west 
of  the  point,  as  proven  by  the  following  extract 
from  the  Fletcher  Patent  for  Islip,  1697 :  "  Bounded 
easterly  by  a  brook  or  river  to  the  westward  of  a 
point  called  the  Blew  Point,  known  by  the  Indian 
name  of  Manowtassquot, — easterly  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Manowtassquot  aforesaid"  (Thompson's 
L.  /.,  vol.  i.,  p.  443).  Walter  L.  Suydam,  Esq., 
perpetuates  the  name  as  "  Manowtasquott, "  for 
country-seat  at  Blue  Point.  The  name  denotes 
"a  locality  where  the  Indians  gathered  flags  or 
rushes  for  baskets  and  mats."  The  components 
of  the  word  are  manowt  =  Massachusetts,  manatt, 
pi.,  mant($ash  (Eliot),  "baskets";  Narragansett, 
munnote,  pi.  munnotash,  "baskets " ; assqu  —  Massa- 
chusetts, misashquok  (Eliot),  "bulrushes";  auke, 
"land";  -ut,  "at";  mana)t-ashqu-auk-ut,  thus 
signifies  "at  the  basket-rush  place."  Wood 
informs  us:  "In  summer  they  gather  flaggs  of 
which  they  make  Matts  for  houfes  and  Hemp  and 
Rufhes,  with  dying  ftuff  of  which  they  make 
curious  baskets  with  intermixed  colours  and  pro- 
tractures  of  antique  imagerie;  thefe  baskets  be  of 


On  Long  Island  101 

all  fizes  from  a  quart  to  a  quarter  in  which  they 
carry  their  luggage  "  (N.  E.  Prospect,  p.  2,  108). 

151.  MANTASH,  Manshtak.    See  Manetuck. 

152.  MANTOOBAUGS:    a    parcel    of    land    on 
Hashamomuk  neck,  Southold  town.     It  is  men- 
tioned in  the  Indian  deed  of  1660,  that  divers 
years   since    (in    1645)    "they,    the   said   Indians 
reserving  out  of  the  said  neck  two  swamps  .  .  . 
and  a  parcel  of  land  thereunto  adjoining  called 
Mantoobaugs"  (S.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  207).     From  the 
above  and  the  mark  of  the  English  possessive 
it  is  evident  that  the  reasons  for  reserving  the 
tract  were  because  it  happened  to  be  the  Indian 
Mantoobaugs  plantation  or  corn  fields,  and  where 
one  of  the  five  wigwams  were  located  in  1640. 
See  Sonnquoquas. 

153.  MANUNKQUIAUG  :  a  locality  in  the  North 
Neck,   Montauk,   East  Hampton  town.     Found 
on  record  as  one  of  the  boundaries  in  the  Montauk 
Indian  deed  of  1670,  viz.:    "then  straight  from 
the  hay  stacks  to  the  great  pond,  so  along  by  the 
said  pond  to   a  place  called  Manunkquiaug  on 
farthest  side  the  reeds,  growing  on  the  end  of  the 
great  pond  eastward   (Hedges's  Address,  1849). 
The  name  appears  also  as  Manunkquinaug  (Ran- 
ger's Deeds,  1850);  Manunkquiag  (De  Kay,  1851). 
Ranger's  Deeds  has  "woods"  in  place  of  "reeds" 


IO2  Indian  Place-Names 

as  in  the  above.  In  the  Brooklyn  Eagle  Almanac 
for  1888  and  1889,  I  gave  the  meaning  as  -'Men- 
haden country,"  or  "fertilizer  land,"  supposing 
it  to  be  the  same  as  Manunkatuck,  Guilford, 
Conn.,  of  which  Mr.  Trumbull  says:  "Probably 
'  menhaden  country '  from  munonqutteau  (mun- 
nohquohteau,  Eliot),  '  that  which  fertilizes  or 
manures  land ' — whence  comes  Narragansett  mun- 
nawhatteatig  (R.  Williams),  the  Indian  name  of 
white-fish  or  bony-fish,  'fertilizers,'  now  corrupted 
to  menhaden."  Further  study  satisfies  me  that 
this  cannot  be  the  derivation  of  the  name,  the 
locality  on  the  southern  shore  of  Great  Pond- 
on  what  is  now  called  Ditch  Plain,  being  more  or 
less  marshy,  with  flags  and  reeds,  would  not  be  a 
place  where  these  fish  could  have  been  taken.  I 
am  satisfied  that  it  is  a  form  corresponding  to  the 
Narragansett  anuckquaque,  "as  far  as,"  "the 
extreme  limit  of,"  "the  ending  of  either  land  or 
water";  Chippewa  (Baraga)  enigokwa,  "as  wide 
as,"  enigokwadessing,  "as  it  is  wide."  Here  we 
find  the  name  as  the  extreme  eastern  limit  of  the 
above  tract  of  land,  M'anunkqua-auke,  "as  far 
as  the  land  goes,"  "end  of  the  land,"  etc.  See 
Wuchebesuck. 

154.  MARECHKAWICK,  Marychkenwikingh:  an 
Indian  village  on  the  site  of  the  Borough  of 
Brooklyn.  In  the  Indian  deed  of  July  16,  1637, 
for  two  islands  in  the  Hellegat,  is  stated: 


On  Long  Island  103 

"Personally  appeared  before  us  Seyseys  and  Num- 
ers  both  chiefs  of  the  Marychkenwikingh  .  .  . 
with  consent  of  the  community  there."  Again: 
"a  peice  of  land  on  Long  Island  near  Merch- 
kawikingh"  (Kieft's  Patent,  1640).  Other  vari- 
ants are :  Merechkawick,  1643 ;  Marechkawick,  1643  ; 
"a  peice  of  land  at  Merechkawick  on  the  Kill 
of  Gouwanes,"  1643;  Reckkenweck,  1643;  Reck- 
kenwick,  1647  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  pp.  5 
et  seq.).  This  name  has  seen  various  translations, 
none  of  which  need  any  extended  notice  at  this 
time.  The  adjectival  merechka  is  the  equivalent 
of  the  Delaware  (Zeisberger)  menachkha;  Massa- 
chusetts, menehket,  "fortified,"  "fenced,"  "pali- 
sadoed ";  primarily  "to  make  strong  with  trees." 
The  substantival  wik  (Delaware,  wik;  Massa- 
chusetts, wek  or  week,  "house,"  "home";  and 
from  it  comes  wigwam]  is  the  conditional  third 
person  singular,  of  the  verb  "when  (or  where) 
he  is  at  home,"  wiiich,  with  the  locative  suffix 
makes  the  Delaware  wikink,  Massachusetts 
weekit,  "at  or  in  his  house."  This  gives  us  in  the 
Delaware,  to  which  dialect  this  name  is  closely 
allied,  Menachkha-wik-ink,  "at  his  fortified  or 
palisadoed  house."  This  refers,  no  doubt,  to 
its  being  the  residence  of  the  Sachems.  See 
Algonquian  Series,  vol.  ii.,  pp.  15-21. 

155.     MAROSSEPINCK  :  Indian  village  in  South 
Oyster   Bay.     This  is    the    Dutch  notation    for 


IO4  Indian  Place-Names 

Massapeague.  The  Indian  deed  of  Jan.  15,  1639, 
says:  "We  Director  and  Council  of  New  Nether- 
land,  etc.,  testify  and  declare  that  to  day,  date 
underwritten  personally  appeared  before  us  Mecho- 
wodt,  chief  Sachem  of  Marossepinck."  Variants 
are:  Marospinc,  1644;  Massepinc,  1656  (Col.  Hist. 
N.  Y.,  vol.  xvi.,  pp.  15,  56,  369).  Mechowodt  was 
the  father  of  Takapousha,  Sachem  of  the  Massa- 
peagues  at  the  time  of  the  settlement  of  Hunting- 
ton.  See  Massapeague. 

156.  MARRATOOKA:  a  pond  and  a  farm  border- 
ing it  at  Mattituck,  Southold  town.  C.  W.  Wick- 
ham,    Esq.,    the   proprietor    of   the   Marratooka 
Farm  informs  me  by  letter  that  the  name  was 
varied  from  Mattituck,  first  to  Marritook  and  then 
to  its  present  form.     See  Mattituck. 

157.  M ARSEY  :  an  abbreviation  of  Massapeague. 
According  to   the  records:   "This   spring    (1653, 
O.  S.)  the  Dutch  governor  .  .  .  sent  one  Govert,  a 
Dutchman,  to  Marsey,  on  Long  Island  to  Nit- 
tanahom  the  Sagamore,  to  assist  and  to  do  unto  him 
what  he  would  have  him  do.     But  the  Sagamore 
told  him  he  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  it, 
whereupon   Govert   gave   the  Sagamore  a  great 
kittle  to  be  silent,  Nittanahan  told  him  he  had 
but  20  men  and  the  English  had  never  done  him 
wrong   and   he   had   no   cause   to    fight    against 


On  Long  Island  105 

them"  (Drake's  Book  of  Indians,  8th  ed.,  Book  2, 
p.  79).     See  Massapeague. 

158.  MASHASHIMUET  :  name  of  the  springs,  on 
south  side  of  the  Otter  pond,  Sag  Harbor,  now 
included    in    Mrs.    Russell    Sage's    playground. 
The  name  is  traditional,  and  was  given  to  me  by 
Stephen  Pharaoh,  of  Montauk,  and  Aunt  Ollie, 
an  Indian  woman,  then  living  at  the  Northside. 
The   locality   was   the   centre   of  former   Indian 
sojourns  as  shell-heaps  bear  witness,  as  well  as 
relics  discovered,  and  graves  found.     In  one  of  the 
latter  lately  opened,  on  the  hill  above  the  springs, 
was   found    a   fine    typical    "Monitor   pipe"    of 
steatite.     The  name  Mash-ashim-et  denotes  "at 
the    great    spring,  from    mash,    "great";   ashim, 
"spring";  and  the  locative,  -et,  "at."     The  name 
Mashashimuet  has  been  revived  by  Mrs.  Russell 
Sage  and  bestowed  on  the  park  which  she  has 
given  to   Sag   Harbor.     The   park   includes  the 
Otter  pond  and  its  springs. 

1 59.  MASHMANOCK  :  one  of  the  names  for  Canoe 
Place    Creek,    Southampton   town.     The   Indian 
deed  of  March  14,  1648,  to  Theophilus  Eaton,  and 
Stephen  Goodyear,  for  the  tract  known  as  Oc- 
quebauck,  says:    "Together  with   the    Land    and 
Meadows,   lying   on   the   other   side   the   water, 
Southward,   so  farr  as   the  creeke  Mashmanock, 
which  is  the  fifth  creek  from  the  fresh  River, 


io6  Indian  Place-Names 

towards  Shinicock"  (Books  of  Deeds,  vol.  ii.,  p. 
210,  Office  of  the  Sec'y  of  State,  Albany,  N.  Y.). 
This  name  is  probably  related  to  Mashomuck, 
with  a  slight  variation.  Mashmanock  (Mash- 
mom-ock)  signifies  "land  or  place  where  there  is 
moving  or  dragging  a  boat,"  hence  a  "Canoe 
Place."  See  Mashomuck.  See  also  Algonquian 
Series,  vol.  viii.,  pp.  41-62,  for  a  discussion  of 
the  related  Virginian  tribal  name  Massawomeke, 
"those  who  go  and  come  by  boat." 

1 60.  MASHOMUCK:  a  neck  and  a  point  of  land 
at  the  southern  extremity  of  Shelter  Island  op- 
posite Sag  Harbor.  The  name  is  traditional,  and 
found  only  on  maps  and  in  a  few  of  the  Island 
histories,  in  the  forms  Meshomac,  Marshammock, 
Mashomuk,  Mashomuck  (U.  S.  Coast  Survey); 
locally  Mashom-uk.  In  the  Brooklyn  Eagle  Alma- 
nac for  1888, 1889,  1890, 1  gave  the  meaning  as  the 
"great  stockade-place,"  Massa-komuk,  from  the 
suggestion  of  Prof.  E.  N.  Horsford  of  Cambridge. 
Later  investigation,  however,  compels  me  to 
reject  it.  Mushawomuk,  Mishaumut,  Shawmut, 
as  it  is  variously  given,  was  the  name  of  Boston 
Neck,  Mass.,  and  the  same  name  in  a  variety  of 
forms  appears  in  other  parts  of  that  State,  and  in 
Rhode  Island.  Our  name  is  no  doubt  of  the  same 
derivation,  of  which  Trumbull  gives  the  etymo- 
logy, viz.:  " Mush®n  or  Mishdtn  (Eliot)  signifies 
a  boat  or  canoe;  more  exactly  a  canoe  made  by 


On  Lon§(  Island  107 

hollowing  out  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  as  distinguished 
from  the  light  and  frail  bark  canoe.  In  the 
vocabularies  of  the  Algonkian  dialects,  we  find 
the  Old  Algonkin  shiman;  Long  Island  mashuee, 
etc.;  in  the  modern  Ojibwa,  chemaun ;  and 
in  the  Pequot,  meshwe.  The  verb  of  simple  mo- 
tion, that  which  expressed  the  notion  of  going, 
was  in  the  third  person  singular  of  the  indicative 
present,  wm,  or  as  Eliot  sometimes  wrote  it  with 
the  pronominal  prefix  of  the  third  person,  w$m 
(in  the  plural  comwog,  " they  go").  In  combina- 
tion with  other  words  it  denotes  the  direction, 
manner,  or  agency  of  going.  Eliot  writes — 
-ohham  and  -horn  for  the  singular,  as  pummohham, 
"he  goes  by  sea,"  nohham,  or  nohhom,  "he  goes  by 
sailing,  he  sails"  (en  nohhanmn,  "to  sail  to,"  Acts 
xx.,  1 6),  sohham  (soh-wm],  "he  goes  forth,"  etc. 
For  (smwog,  Roger  Williams  writes,  in  the  Narra- 
gansett  dialect,  homwock,  "they  go."  From 
mushsn  or  meshwe,  "boat",  and  ®mwog  or  hom- 
wock, would  be  formed  mush®ahomwog  or  some- 
thing like  it:  "they  go  by  boat,"  or  "by  canoe." 
In  Roger  Williams 's  Key,  we  find  this  phrase  as 
one  of  familiar  use  in  Narragansett,  "  Cornish® - 
hommis?  Did  you  come  by  boat?"  (p.  8); 
" Comishwnhom?  Go  you  by  water?"  (p.  109); 
" MishfSnhomwock,  they  go  or  come  by  water," 
i.  e.,  by  canoe  (p.  72).  The  Indians  never  em- 
ployed a  verb  in  the  indicative  plural  as  the  name 
of  a  place,  but  a  form  very  often  used  for  that 


io8  Indian  Place-Names 

purpose  was  what  may  be  termed  a  conditional 
verbal,  or  gerundive — having  the  terminative  of 
the  third  person  singular  of  the  conditional- 
present  passive  in  -muk.  This  form  was  much 
employed  where,  in  English,  we  should  use  the 
infinitive,  or  an  abstract  noun.  Examples  may 
be  seen  in  Eliot's  translation  of  Ecc.  iii.,  3-7; 
a  time  to  kill — to  build  up — to  weep — to  dance; 
where  the  verb,  preceded  by  the  particle  adt 
(cf.  Latin  ad]  as  nushehteamuk,  ayimuk,  maumuk, 
pumukomuk,  etc.,  signifying  (where,  or,  if)  there  is 
killed,  or  when  killing  (building,  weeping,  etc.) 
is.  So  Mashauwomuk  may  be  literally  translated 
"where  there  is  going  by  boat,  or  where  they 
go  by  boat";  and  the  name  was  applicable  to  any 
place  on  a  river  or  arm  of  the  sea  from  which  boats 
habitually  crossed  to  the  bank  or  shore  opposite, 
— in  a  word,  a  ferry  (Mass.  Hist.  Soc.  Proc.,  Dec. 
1866,  pp.  376,  379).  This  I  believe  to  be  the 
derivation  of  our  Meshomuk  or  Mashomuk  and 
the  location  favors  this  interpretation.  The 
residence  of  the  Shelter  Island  Indians  on  Sachem's 
Neck  was  a  short  distance  north.  From  Mash- 
omuk the  settlement  of  the  Montauks  at  "Three 
Mile  Harbor"  was  easily  reached  by  canoe,  also 
Gardiner's  Island,  and  the  village  of  the  Shin- 
necocks  by  the  trail  from  Sag  Harbor.  On 
Cedar  (or  East)  point  opposite  are  found  the 
indications  of  an  Indian  village;  from  there  the 
trail  goes  on  a  straight  line  to  the  Indian  village 


On  Long  Island  109 

of  Ashawagh  at  Hands  Creek,  Three  Mile  Harbor. 
See  Algonquian  Series,  vol.  viii.,  pp.  40-62. 

161.  MASKACHOUNG,  Maskutchoung:  a  neck  of 
land  in  the  southeastern  bounds  of  Hempstead, 
where  an  Indian  village  was  one  time  located. 
In  the  articles  of  agreement  between  the  Governor 
of  New  Netherlands  and  Tackapousha,  March  12, 
1656,  we  find:  "That  Tackapousha  being  chosen 
Chief  Sachem  by  all  the  Indians  from  Massapeag, 
Maskahuong,"  etc.  (Thompson's  L.  I.,  vol.  ii.,  p. 
8).     The  bounds  of  Hempstead,  May  n,  1658, 
were:    "att   the   South   Sea    by    a   marked   tree 
made  in  a  neck  called  Mashkutchoung"  (Col.  Hist. 
N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  416).     The  form  Maskachoung 
occurs  in  1685.     This  name  denotes  "grass  land, " 
or  "on  the  grass  land,"  and  is  the  equivalent  of 
the  Chippewa  (Baraga)  mashkode,  "prairie";  Mas- 
sachusetts, mosketuash  (Cotton),  "grass";  Narra- 
gansett,  maskituash,   "grass,"  with  the  locative 
-ong.     The  neck  is  on  the  south  part  of  the  great 
Hempstead  plain.     Compare  Chippewa  (School- 
craft   maskoding,  "prairie";  maskodaong,  "in  the 
prairie." 

162.  MASPETH:  a  village  in  Newtown,  Queen's 
Co.     See  Mespaetches. 

163.  MASQUETUX  :  a  neck  of  land  at  West  Islip. 
On    some    maps     Masquetux,    situated    between 


no  Indian  Place-Names 

Apple- tree  neck  and  Compowams.  "Next  is  a 
neck  of  land  called  Masquetux  bounded  on  the 
east  by  a  brook  of  the  same  name"  (Munsell's 
Hist.  S.  C.,  Islip).  There  is  a  possibility  that 
this  is  a  corrupted  form  of  the  earlier  name  for 
this  neck,  Missatuck  or  Mispotuck.  If  not,  we 
may  find  its  parallel  in  the  Mohegan  Muxquataug, 
"a  place  of  rushes,"  designating  some  particular 
part  of  the  neck.  See  Mispatuck  and  Missatuck. 

164.  MASSABACK:    see  Massakack. 

165.  MASSABARKEM  :  Gravesend  Neck,  King's 
Co.   (De   Kay's  Indian   Names  on  L.  /.).     The 
confirmatory  deed  of  Gravesend  was  signed   in 
1650   by  four   Indian   Sachems,   who   called  the 
Indian  name  of  the  place,   Massabarkem  (Mun- 
sell's Hist.  King's   Co.,   p.    18).     This   name   is 
probably  badly  corrupted;  its  etymology  has  not 
been  ascertained. 

1 66.  MASSAKACK:  hill  in   Huntington  town. 
On  March  18,   1702,  Isaac  Deriemer  and  others 
petition  the  Governor  for  a  license  to  purchase 
"a  tract  of  land  called  by  the  Indians  Massa- 
back,    in    English    half   hill,    in    the    County    of 
Suffolk,  about  three  miles  long  and  two  in  breadth, 
close  by  the  town  of  Huntington."     On  Dec.  II, 
1702,  the  same  parties  petition  again  for  the  same 
tract .  "called  by  the  Indians  Massakack "  (Coll.  of 


On  Long'  Island  in 

Land  Papers,  Office  of  the  Sec'y  of  State,  pp.  58, 
64).  This  is  probably  the  locality  now  known 
as  the  "Half  Hollow  Hills."  It  signifies  "the 
great  hill  land,"  from  massa,  "great,"  "big," 
"large,"  etc.;  adchu,  "hill";  auke,  "land." 
Thus,  Mass-adch-auke,  corrupted  to  Massaback 
or  Massakack.  This  is  the  same  as  Mass-adchu- 
setts  without  the  locative  terminative  -sett,  =  es-set. 
See  the  discussion  of  Massachusetts  in  the  Journal 
of  American  Folk-Lore,  vol.  xvii.,  1904,  p.  175. 

167.  MASSAPEAGUE,  Marsapeague:  the  home 
of  the  tribe  of  Indians  known  as  the  Massapeags, 
located  on  Fort  Neck  now  belonging  to  the  Floyd- 
Jones  estate,  in  the  town  of  South  Oyster  Bay. 
At  the  period  of  settlement,  two  Indian  forts  were 
found  there.  The  remains  of  one  were  or  are 
still  visible.  The  other,  on  the  southernmost 
point  of  the  salt  meadow,  consisted  of  palisados 
set  in  the  meadow.  The  tide  and  storms  many 
years  since  wore  away  the  land  where  it  stood, 
and  the  place  is  now  covered  by  water.  It  was 
no  doubt  the  situation  of  these  forts  that  gave 
the  name  to  the  place,  being  on  the  "great  water 
land,"  or  being  "land  on  the  great  cove."  Its 
earliest  mention  is  found  in  the  Dutch  records 
(see  Marossepinck) .  Variations  are:  Masepeage, 
1643;  Marsey,  1653;  Massapeage,  1657;  Marsa- 
peake,  1658;  Messepeake,  1658;  Mashpeag,  1675; 
Masha-Peage,  1675,  etc.  The  same  name  is  found 


H2  Indian.  Place-Names 

in  Connecticut,  Massapeag  (Mohegan),  tract  of 
land  sold  by  Uncas  to  Richard  Haughton,  1658. 
Its  eastern  bound  was  a  long  cove.  The  name 
Massa-pe-auke  means  "great  water  land,"  or 
"land  on  the  great  cove  "  (Trumbull).  Mashpee, 
in  Barnstable  County,  Mass.,  seems  to  be  the 
same  word.  See  Massapequa. 

1 68.  MASSAPEQUA  :    a    pond    and    brook    in 
South  Oyster  Bay  town.     The  R.  R.  station  of 
the  Montauk  Division  of  the  L.  I.  R.  R.,  formerly 
known  as  South  Oyster  Bay,  was  changed  during 
the   summer   of    1890   to   Massapequa.     It   is    a 
variation  of  Massapeague.     See  Massapeague. 

169.  MASSEPE:  a  river  or  creek  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  town  of  Jamaica,  perhaps  the  one  now 
called    Thurston's    Creek.     It    is    mentioned    in 
connection  with  the  laying  out  of  the  squadrons 
of  men  for  mowing  the  Jamaica  meadows,  July 
1657:  "The  2d  squadron  (6  men  named)  are  to 
mowe  eastward  ffrom  ye  afforesayd  to  ye  great 
river  called  Mas  sepe"  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv., 
p.  505).     Here  we  have  a  Mississippi  River  on 
Long   Island,   so-called    because   it   was   greater 
than  others  in  the  vicinity.     The  name  is  com- 
pounded from  massa,  "great";   "big,"  etc.;  sepe 
=  Chippewa  sibi;    Massachusetts,   sepu;   Narra- 
gansett,  seip;  Shawnee,  sepe;  Unkechaug,  sipus; 


On  Long'  Island  113 

Mohegan,  seepo,  "  a.  river  " ;  strictly  "  a  long  river. " 
Thus  Mass-sepe  means  "a  great  (long)  river." 

170.     MASSAPOOTUPAUG  :  a  locality  in  the  west- 
ern part  of  Southampton  town.     Mentioned  but 
once   in   the   town   records,   January    15,    1662: 
"part  of  the  Shinnecock  Indians  give  to  Capt. 
Topping  land  from  Niamack  over  to  the  old  gutt, 
and  their  bounds  goe  to  Masspootupaug  which  is 
the  west  end  on  the  south  side"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii., 
p.  27).     The  name  is  derived  from  massa,  "great" ; 
pootuppog,   "a  bay   or  cove  that  has  a  narrow 
inlet  from  a  river  or  sea."     Eliot  uses  p®tuppog 
and  pr&tupag  for  bay  in   Joshua  xv.,  2,   5.     The 
modern  Abnaki  is  podebag.     "The  literal  mean- 
ing is  '  a  bulging  out, '   or   '  jutting '    (podode)   of 
the  water  inland ' '    (Trumbull) .     The  Unkechaug 
peta'pagh,    "bay,"   was    recorded    by    Jefferson. 
As  the  Shinnecock  bounds  in  1665  went  to  Apocuck 
Creek,  now  known  as  the  Beaver-dam  River,  this 
was  probably  the   "East  Bay,"   south  of  West 
Hampton.     It    narrows    to    a    width    of    only    a 
quarter  of  a  mile  at  Mastic  Neck,  and  besides  an 
inlet  from  the  ocean  formerly  existed  on  the  south 
beach    of    that    bay.     In    the    Brooklyn    Eagle 
Almanac    for    1888,    I     gave     the     meaning    as 
"great  boggy  meadow,"  f rom . pootapaug,  "boggy 
meadow,"    related     to     Chippewa     petobeg,     "a 
bog,"  and  Abnaki  poteban,  "to  sink  in  the  mire" 
(Trumbull).     It  is  spelled  and  pronounced  similar 


114  Indian  Place-Names 

to  the  preceding ;  but  I  regard  the  former  as  being 
more  correct. 

171.  MASTIC:  a  broad  neck  of  land  in  Brook- 
haven  township.     This  neck  is   also  divided  into 
many  smaller  necks,  most    of  which  bear  abori- 
ginal names.    As  a  name,  it  belonged  originally 
to  the  large  estuary  or  cove  on  the  east  side  of 
the  neck,  now  called  "Forge  River,"  as  proven 
by  the  following  extract  from  the  Indian  deed  of 
1674:  "land  that  lyeth  betweene  a  River  called 
Conitticut,    to    another     River    called    Mastick" 
(B.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  32).     It  occurs  as  Mastuck  in  a 
deed   of    1692;   Mastic,    1693.     The   same   name 
occurs  in  Connecticut  as  "Mystic  River, "  between 
Stonington  and  Groton.      The    "great  river"    of 
Boston  Bay,  which  separates  Charlestown  from 
Maiden  and  Chelsea,  its  estuary  receiving  Charles 
River,  bears  the  same  name.     The  word  signifies 
the  ' '  great  river. ' '    Massa  (or  missi)  ' l  great ' ' ;  -tuck 
or  -tick,   "a  tidal  river."     Mastic  was  the  great 
tidal  river  or  cove,  as  compared  with  others  in 
the  same  locality.     See  "Forge  River"  on  maps 
of  Long  Island. 

172.  MATANUCKE:  a  name  of  Staten  Island, 
Richmond   Co.,    N.    Y.     (French's    Gazetteer   of 
N.  Y.,  1860).     "Among  the  'Patroons',  as  they 
were  styled,  was  Michael  Pauw,  who  purchased 
Matanucke,  now  called  Staten  Island,  from  the 


On  Long'  Island  115 

Indians  by  deed,  dated  Aug.  19,  1660"  (Coll. 
N.  J.  Hist.  Soc.,  vol.  i.,  p.  18).  This  name  is  of 
similar  import  to  Matinnecock  and  other  names 
denoting  "a  place  of  observation,"  "a  look 
out,"  etc.  This  appellation  was  generally  given 
to  high  land,  islands,  etc.  The  island  seems  to 
have  been  earlier  and  more  generally  known  as 
Aquehonga  Manacknong.  See  Aquehonga  Manack- 
nong  and  Matinnecock. 

173.  MATINNECOCK:  a  point  of  land,  island, 
and  village  in  the  town  of  Oyster  Bay,  Queen's 
Co.  It  is  difficult  to  locate  the  exact  spot  to 
which  this  name  was  originally  applied.  The 
Matinnecock  tribe  roamed  about  and  that  fact 
gave  the  name  to  a  number  of  places,  perhaps  far 
removed  from  their  ancient  home.  Thompson 
says:  "East  Island  is  called  Matinnecock  Island, 
the  extreme  point  of  which,  though  improperly, 
is  yet  called  Matinicock  Point"  (Thompson's  L.  /., 
vol.  i.,  p.  495).  The  earliest  record  that  we 
have  been  able  to  find  is  April  15,  1644,  when: 
"Ganwarowe  Sachem  of  Matinnekonck,  acting  for 
the  adjoining  villages,  viz. :  Matinnekonck,  Maros- 
pinc,  and  Siketenhacky ,  requested  to  have  peace 
and  to  plant  in  the  above  villages  which  was 
granted  him"  (Col.  Hist.  N.  F.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  56). 
In  1645,  the  Matinnecocks  were  residing  on  the 
Nissequogue  River.  Van  Tienhoven  wrote  in 
1 650 :  ' '  Martin  Garretsen's  Bay  or  Martinnehouch 


Ii6  Indian  Place-Names 

is  much  deeper  and  wider  than  Oyster  Bay,  and 
runs  westward  in,  divides  into  three  rivers,  two 
of  which  are  navigable,  the  smallest  stream  runs 
up  in  front  of  the  Indian  village  called  Mar- 
tinnehouch  where  they  have  their  plantation. 
This  tribe  is  not  strong,  and  consists  of  about  30 
families.  In  and  about  this  bay  there  were  for- 
merly great  numbers  of  Indian  plantations,  which 
now  lie  waste  and  vacant"  (Col.  Hist.N.  F.,  vol. 
xiv.,  p.  314).  Hon.  C.  R.  Street  (in  Munsell's 
Hist.  S.  C.)  locates  this  on  Huntington  Bay. 
But  in  1655  we  find:  " Mattinnekonck  Bay  also 
called  Martin  Garrettsen's  Bay  ...  west  of 
Oyster  Bay"  (Col.  Hist.  N.  K,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  314). 
We  meet  with  the  following  variations  besides  the 
above:  Matinnecoke,  1653;  Montinnecok,  1656; 
Matinnecogh,  1656;  Matinnecoke,  1663;  Metinicok, 
1672.  This  name  is  descriptive  of  "high  land," 
probably  given  to  one  of  the  many  high  hills 
that  dot  that  section — perhaps  the  high  "Harbor 
Hill,"  in  North  Hempstead.  M '  atinne-auke-ut 
signifies  "at  the  place  to  search,  or  to  look  around 
from,"  "at  the  place  of  observation,"  "at  the 
hilly  land."  A  Matinnekonck  (on  some  maps 
Tinnekonck)  Island,  now  Burlington  Island,  is  in 
New  Jersey.  Matinnack  Islands  in  Maine  are 
mentioned  by  Capt.  John  Smith  (Gen.  Hist.  N.E., 
1624)  and  have  no  doubt  the  same  meaning.  The 
components  of  the  word  are  m'atinne,  correspond- 
ing to  Massachusetts  natinneham,  "he  searches"; 


On  Long'  Island  117 

Delaware  (Lenape)  latonniken,  "to  search,  to  ex- 
amine"; auke,  "land,"  "place";  -ut,  "at  or  near." 

174.  MATOWCAS:      name  of  the  territory  on 
which  stands  the  city  of  Brooklyn.     "This  town 
formerly   composed   part    of  a  powerful    Indian 
Sachemdom;  and  with  other  parts  of  the  Island 
bore  the  Indian  name  of  Matowcas"   (Furman's 
Antiq.  of  L.  /.).     A  variation   of  Matowcas    is 
Mattanwake  or  Meitowax.     See  Meitowax. 

175.  MATSEPE:   village   of   the    Massapeags, 
Fort  Neck,  South  Oyster  Bay.     This  is  the  Dutch 
notation  for  Massapeague,  named  in  Journal  of 
New  Netherlands,  1647:  "a  troup  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  men  .  .  .  marched  towards   Heem- 
sted  (where  there  is  an  English  Colonie  depen- 
dant on  us)   .  .  .  our  force  was  divided  into  two 
divisions — Van    der    Hil    with    fourteen    English 
towards  the  smallest,  and  Eighty  men  towards  the 
largest  village  named  Matsepe,  both  of  which  were 
successful,  killing  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
men;  of  ours  one  man  remained  on  the  field  and 
three  were  wounded"     (Doc.  Hist.   N.  Y.,  vol. 
iv.,  p.  1 6).     The  above  event  is  given  in  all  the 
Island  histories  as  taking  place  in  1653,  but  as 
this  was  written  in  1647,  it  must  have  been  much 
earlier."     See  Massapeague. 

176.  MATTANWAKE:  a  name  of  Long  Island. 
Hubbard,  in  his  History  of  New  England,  says: 


Ii8  Indian  Place-Names 

"That  at  the  time  of  the  grant  to  the  Earl  of 
Sterling,  in  1635,  it  was  called  by  the  Indians 
Mattanwake."  But  in  a  copy  of  the  grant  at 
hand,  we  find  it  quoted:  "All  that  Island  or 
Islands  heretofore  comonly  called  by  the  several 
name  or  names  of  Matowa  or  Long  Island" 
(Col.  Hist.  N.  F.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  30,  Note).  See 
Meitowax. 

177.  MATTAWOMMAX:    a    locality    in    Brook- 
haven   town,   mentioned  in   a   deed  from    John 
Thompson  to   John    Pallmer,    dated    March    2, 
1685,  for  his  "share  of  meado  at  Mattawommax," 
recorded    in    Sessions    No.    I,    Suffolk    County, 
Clerk's  Office,  Riverhead,  L.  I.  (Copy  by  O.  B. 
Ackerly,   Esq.).     This   name  belongs   to   Trum- 
bull's  Class  3,  and  signifies  "where  the  going  is 
bad,"  referring  no  doubt  to  the  meadow.     The 
components    of    the    word    are    matta,    "bad"; 
worn,  "he  goes  or  proceeds  from"  (d)m  in  Eliot); 
auke,  "land,"  "place."     See  Mattemoy. 

178.  MATTEMOY:   one   of   the   smaller   necks 
of    Mastic,    Brookhaven    town.     According    to 
several  of  the  Long  Island  histories.     It  is  evi- 
dently traditional,  for  it  does  not  appear  in  any 
of  the  records.     De  Kay  and  Thompson  give  it  as 
Mottemog.     In  1646  Pawquash  an  Indian  was  sen- 
tenced  to   be   whipped   because    "he   did   blas- 
phemously say  that  Jesus  Christ  was  mattamoy 


On  Long  Island  119 

and  naught"  (N.  H.  Col.  Rec.,  vol.  i.,  p.  262). 
Eliot  uses  mattamog  (Prov.  xxvii.,  2)  plural  for 
"fool."  Therefore  this  may  have  been  the  per- 
sonal name  of  an  Indian  living  there,  who  they 
called  Mattemoy,  "a  fool,"  or  it  may  be  derived 
from  Mattamaug,  "bad  or  poor  fishing-place." 
The  following  is  of  interest  here: 

u  Mottemog:  This  is  the  Indian  name  of  a  'Neck' 
on  the  south  side  of  Long  Island,  64  miles  from 
the  City  of  New  York.  A  Neck,  in  the  Long 
Island  vernacular,  means  a  parcel  of  land  fronting 
salt  water  between  two  creeks.  Mottemog  has 
Sheep  Pen  Creek  on  its  east  side  and  John  Neck 
Creek  on  its  west  side  at  a  point  on  the  Great 
South  Bay  where  the  Bay  is  only  a  mile  wide,  so 
this  Neck  is  only  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter  from 
the  broad  Atlantic.  The  undersigned  offers  for 
sale  250  acres  of  Mottemog  (there  are  only  400 
acres  in  the  whole  Neck),  a  tract,  1,700  feet  wide 
on  the  Bay  (with  riparian  rights),  a  parallelogram 
in  shape,  over  a  mile  long,  and  about  equally 
divided  between  meadow,  arable  land  (very 
fertile),  and  big  oak  timber.  It  can  be  trans- 
formed by  a  skilful  landscape  architect  into  a 
beautiful  home  at  slight  cost,  unless  the  owner 
desires  expensive  buildings.  Not  many  neighbors, 
but  all  desirable,  being  descendants  of  original 
owners  from  Colonial  times,  occupying  large  es- 
tates. The  land  can  be  had  for  half  value.  O.  B. 
Ackerly,  146  E.  34th  Street,  New  York  City." 


I2O  Indian  Place-Names 

179.  MATTHABANKS:  Great  South  Beach  op- 
posite the  town  of  Brookhaven.     In  a  memoran- 
dum on  file  (endorsed  "a  record  for  ye  beach," 
March  15,  1668-9):  "Owenamchock,  the  Eastward 
bounds  of  Tobacus  Land  sold  to  Setauk,  Maltha- 
banks  the  name  of  ye  Beach,  the  wester  Bounds  is 
Nanmicake  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  23).     This  name  is 
probably  analogous  to  the  Massachusetts  (Eliot) 
Wussabanunk,  "a  bank  of  a  river,"  etc.;  Micmac 
kaskibundk,  "the  bank  of  a  river."     The  Massa- 
chusetts  Wussabanunk  or  Wussapinunk  is  com- 
posed   of   wus,    "brim,"    "edge";    appin    (from 
appu)  "he  sits";  -unk,  "place"  (Trumbull). 

1 80.  MATTITUCK:   a  village,  bay,   and   creek 
in  the  western  part  of  Southold  town.     The  name 
was  given  originally  to  a  tract  of  land,  partly  in 
Southold  and  including  part  of  the  present  town 
of   Riverhead,  which  was  set  off  as   a  separate 
township  in   1792.     It  is  first  mentioned  in  the 
Indian  deed  of   1648:    "All  that    tract   of   land 
lying  between  Conchake  and  Ucquebaak  commonly 
called  Mattatuck"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  vi.,  p.  76).    Again 
in  1661 :  "lands  att  Oyster  ponds,  Curchaug,  Occa- 
bauck,  and  Mattatuck  should  be  surveyed"  (S.  R., 
vol.  i.,  p.  350) ;  in  1665  "  Corchaug  and  Mattaducke 
and  all  other  tracts  of  land  ...  by  what  name 
soever  called"  (Indian  Deed,  S.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  250) ; 
in   1667:   "Lands  and  meadows  .  .  .  commonly 
known  by  the  name  of  ...  Mattatuck"  (S.   R., 


On  Long'  Island  121 

vol.  i.,  p.  230).  Variations  are  Mattatuck,  1648; 
Matatucke,  1653;  Mattaducke,  1665;  Mattatuk, 
1685;  Mattetuck,  1843,  etc.  It  appears  as  the 
Indian  name  of  three  different  localities  in  Con- 
necticut. According  to  Trumbull  "The  name 
(Matah'tugk)  designates  a  'place  without  wood,' 
or  'badly  wooded,'  'destitute  of  trees.'  :  Wm.  S. 
Pelletreau,  in  his  Geographical  Names,  says, 
after  giving  the  above  meaning:  "A  far  more 
probable  derivation  is  'matta'  (a  form  of  'massa') 
and  'tuck,'  a  creek,  and  the  meaning  'great  creek,' 
a  meaning  which  is  amply  sustained  by  the  geo- 
graphical features  of  the  place."  Trumbull  is 
the  author  of  both  derivations  but  inclines  more 
to  the  first,  as  does  the  present  writer.  In  1654 
(only  fourteen  years  after  the  settlement)  there 
was  such  a  scarcity  of  timber  in  the  town  of  South- 
old  that  they  had  to  enact  a  law  prohibiting  the 
cutting  of  timber,  "from  the  utmost  part  of  the 
town  westward  towards  Mattetuck  to  the  furthest 
poynt  of  that  neck  of  land  .  .  .  Plumb  gutt." 
In  1660  they  passed  another  law  to  the  same 
effect  (S.  R.,  vol.  i.,  pp.  319-335).  Mattituck 
would  therefore  seem  to  be  derived  from  matta, 
"no";  -tuck,  -tugk,  "tree." 

181.  MATTOCK:  a  swamp  in  Southampton 
town  near  "North  Sea."  First  mentioned  in  an 
entry  of  1743,  viz. :  "lot  of  land  lying  in  the  North 
sea  line  joyning  to  Mattock  swamp."  Again  in 


122  Indian  Place-Names 

1763:  "  a  difference  arose  between  Samuel  Jagger 
and  Thomas  Jennings  about  some  meadow  at  a 
place  called  Matuck  swamp."  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  iii., 
pp.  40,  240).  This  name  might  be  translated 
"bad  land,"  from  Matt-auke  (matt,  "bad"; 
auke,  land"),  and  this  would  describe  the  swamp, 
but  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  swamp  takes  its 
name  from  an  Indian  who  formerly  lived  there; 
besides,  the  land  adjoining  bears  evidences  of 
such  habitations. 

182.  MATTUCK:   a  brook  at  East    Moriches, 
Brookhaven  town.     "This  neck  '  Watchogue '  con- 
tains the  eastern  section  of  the  village  of  East 
Moriches,  and  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  a  small 
brook  called    Mattuck"    (Munsell's  Hist.  Brook- 
haven).     Mattuck  is  derived  from  matt,  "bad"; 
-tuck,    "a    creek."      It    may    be,    however,    an 
abbreviated  form  from  a  longer  term. 

183.  MEACOX:  a  farming  district,  and  inland 
bay  at  Bridge  Hampton,  Southampton  town.     In 
the   early   records   of   the   township,    Meacox   is 
always  referred  to  as  a  tract  of  land,  and  in  the 
division  of  the  land  among  the  settlers — as  a  plain, 
the  bay  being  called   "Mecox  Water,"  for  the 
reason  that  it  borders  the  plain  on  the  south.     We 
find  the  locality  mentioned  as  early  as  1644,  viz.: 
"  Yt  is  further  ordered  that  .  .  .  two  persons,  one 
of  which  shall  goe  to  viewe  and  espie  yf  there  be 


On  Long'  Island  123 

any  whales  cast  up  as  far  as  the  South  Harbor, 
and  the  other  shall  goe  unto  the  third  pond  beyond 
Meecocks,  beginning  at  the  windmill"  (S.  H.  R., 
vol.  i.,  p.  32).  Variations  are:  Meacoxe,  164.6; 
Mecocks,  1654;  Mecoks,  1654;  Meacocks,  1657; 
Meecooks,  1659;  Meacox,  1677,  etc.  This  local 
name,  by  all  the  historians  of  Long  Island,  has 
been  taken  to  be  of  Indian  origin.  I  have  had 
the  same  supposition  and,  in  the  Brooklyn  Eagle 
Almanac  for  1888,  1889,  1890,  gave  its  significa- 
tion as  "  a  plain  bare  of  timber,' '  regarding  the  word 
as  a  variation  of  the  Delaware  (Zeisberger) 
megucke;  Massachusetts  (Eliot),  mukoshqut,  "a 
plain."  This  derivation  I  now  believe  to  be  an 
error.  Halkett  Lord,  Esq.,  suggests  that  it  is 
from  "  Meacock"  an  obsolete  English  term  re- 
corded in  Cotgrave  (1611),  Phillips  (1706),  Bailey 
(1737),  etc.,  with  the  sense  of  "ninny,"  "coward," 
"effeminate  fellow";  French,  "bedier."  Still  for 
all  the  foregoing,  I  believe  it  to  be  of  Indian 
origin,  and  a  survival  of  the  name  of  one  of  the 
signers  of  the  Southampton  Indian  deed  of  Dec. 
13,  1640,  where  it  appears  as  Secommecock  = 
Secom-mecock  =  Mecock.  With  the  mark  of  the 
English  possessive,  as  it  often  occurs,  we  have 
Mecock's,  which  is  a  very  probable  derivation. 

184.  MECHAWANIENCK  :  a  locality  in  King's 
Co.  Mentioned  in  the  Indian  deed  of  New 
Utrecht,  Nov.  22,  1652,  viz.:  "the  said  land 


124  Indian  Place-Names 

stretching  from  behind  Mr.  Paulus'  land,  called 
Gouwanis,  across  the  hills  to  Mechawanienck  lying 
on  the  south  east  side  Amersfoort  (Flatlands)  and 
thence  past  Gravesend  to  the  sea  following  the 
marks  on  the  trees"  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv., 
p.  190).  This  is  the  only  mention  of  this  locality 
that  I  have  been  able  to  find  from  an  early  record. 
This  name  probably  indicated  an  "old  Indian 
trail  or  path,"  from  mechowi,  "old,"  "ancient, 
old  in  use";  anink  (cf.  Delaware  aney,  "road," 
"walking  road,"  "path");  thus  the  "old  path 
or  trail." 

185.  MEITOWAX:  one  of  the  names  of  Long 
Island.  Variously  given  as  Matouwac,  Matou- 
acks,  Meilowacks,  Metoac,  Meitowacks,  Matowcas, 
Mattanwake,  and  Matowa.  It  appears  by  these 
names  on  all  the  Dutch  maps  from  Lucini  about 
1631,  to  Evans  in  1775.  In  the  patent  of  Long 
Island,  etc.,  by  Charles  II.  to  his  brother,  the  Duke 
of  York,  1664,  Meitowax  is  given  as  being  its 
Indian  name.  Benson,  in  his  Memorial  read 
before  the  N.  Y.  Historical  Society  in  1846, 
derives  Mattoway  or  Meitowax  from  the  Montauks, 
and  says:  "All  of  which,  however,  differently 
spelled  or  pronounced  by  the  wrhites,  doubtless 
purport  the  same."  The  late  Henry  R.  School- 
craft,  in  a  paper  read  before  the  same  Society 
in  1845,  derived  the  name  from  the  same  tribe. 
Both  are  in  error,  as  the  name  was  not  so  derived. 


On  Long'  Island  125 

It  is  by  synthetical  resolution,  Meht-anaw-ack, 
"the  land  of  the  periwinkle,"  or  "country  of  the 
ear-shell,"  —Massachusetts,  meht,  "an  ear"; 
anaw,  "a  shell";  -ack,  "land,"  or  "country." 
See  Algonguian  Series,  vol.  ii.,  pp.  9-18,  for  a 
further  discussion  of  this  Indian  name  for  Long 
Island. 

1 86.  MEMANUSACK,  Memanusuck:  the  stream 
of  water  from  which  the  present  village  of  Stony 
Brook,  Brookhaven  town,  takes  its  name.     It  is 
first  found  on  record  in  the  Indian  deed  for  Smith- 
town,    Sept.    29,  1650,  viz.:     "Certain   quantity 
of  land — at  a  river  knowne  by  the  name  of  Nesa- 
quake  River,  and  from  that  eastward  to  a  River 
called  Memanusack  lying  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Island"  (Munsell's  Hist.  S.  C.).     Also  occurs  as 
Memanusuck.     No  doubt  the  same  as  Mahman- 
suck,  or  Maumansuck  in  Connecticut,  denoting  a 
"place  where  two  streams  meet,"  or  perhaps  "a 
brook  connecting  two  ponds. "     This  prefix  means 
"to  bring  together"  (Trumbull's  Indian   Names 
in   Connecticut}.     This  brook  is   an  outlet   of  a 
pond  into  the  harbor.     The   name  would  thus 
be  derived  from  memanu,  cognate  with  Delaware 
mawenemen,   "to  bring  together,"   "to  gather"; 
Massachusetts,  mianau,  "he  assembles,"  "gathers 
together";  -suck,  "brook,"  "outlet." 

187.  MEROSUCK:     Canoe  Place,  Southampton 


126  Indian  Place-Names 

town.  "The  isthmus  between  Shinnecock  and 
Peconic  Bays  was  called  by  the  Indians  Merosuc 
or  Canoe-place,  the  spot  across  which  they  hauled 
their  canoes  from  one  bay  to  the  other"  (Thomp- 
son's L.  I.,  vol.  i.,  p.  360).  Also  Merosuck  (Fur- 
man's  Antiq.  L.  /.).  This  name  is  not  found  in  the 
town  records.  The  late  G.  R.  Howell  doubted 
the  name  and  its  application.  Its  etymology 
has  not  been  ascertained. 

188.  MERRICK:  a  name  now  given  to  a  small 
settlement,  five  miles  southeast  of  the  village  of 
Hempstead,  L.  I.  It  is  first  found  on  record  in  the 
Indian  deed  for  Hempstead,  Nov.  13,  1643,  viz.: 
"That  we  of  Masepeage,  Merriack  or  Rockaway 
wee  hoes  names  are  hereunto  written  have  sett 
ouer  hand  and  sold  unto  Robert  Fordham  and 
John  Carman  on  Long  Island  Inglishmen  the  half 
moiety  or  equal  part  of  the  great  plain  lying  to- 
wards the  southside"  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv., 
P-  53°) •  Variants  are:  Merioke,  1647;  Meracock, 
1656;  Moroke,  Mericoke,  Mericock  land,  1675; 
Merricock,  "planting  land  voluntarily  left, "  1675; 
Marrocock,  1684.  In  1675,  Tackapousha,  Sachem 
of  Mashpeag,  "declares  yt  Mercock  Land  which 
Hempstead  enjoy  was  never  paid  for"  (Col.  Hist. 
N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  696).  This  name  seems  to 
have  been  originally  applied  to  the  Hempstead 
plains,  which  it  describes.  Merricock  represents 
Massachusetts  Mehchi-auke,  "bare  land";  or 


On  Long'  Island  127 

Mehchi-auke-ut,  "at  the  barren  land,"  "bare  of 
trees,"  "a  plain."  The  components  of  the  name 
would  then  be  merri  (Massachusetts  mehchi, 
mehcheyeu}  "  it  is  barren ' ' ;  auke, ' '  land ' ' ;  -ut,  "  at. " 

189.  MESPAETCHES:  a  name  originally  given 
to  a  swamp  and  creek  in  the  western  part  of 
Queen's  Co.  The  "stream  is  now  known  as 
Newtown  Creek.  This  name  is  first  mentioned 
in  the  Indian  deed  of  Aug.  i,  1638,  when  the 
Council  of  New  Netherland  secured  for  the  West 
India  Co.:  "a  certain  tract  of  land  lying  on 
Long  Island,  reaching  in  length  from  the  plan- 
tation of  George  Rapaljee  (called  Rinnegak- 
onck)  a  good  league  and  a  half  to  the  Mes- 
paechtes  and  in  width  from  the  East  River  about 
one  league  to  the  copses  of  the  same  Mespaechtes 
(Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  54).  Munsell 
(Hist,  of  King's  Co.)  has,  "  about  one  league  to  the 
swamp  of  Mespaechtes."  Thompson  (L.  /.,  vol. 
ii.,  p.  137)  says:  "The  name  (Maspeth}  originally 
belonged  to  the  western  part  of  the  town  (New- 
town)  the  latter  being  probably  the  appellation 
applied  to  a  tribe  of  Indians  residing  about  the 
head  of  the  creek."  Variations  are  Mespatchis 
Kil,  1642;  Mespachtes  Kil,  1646;  Mespacht,  1654; 
Mespaat,  1656;  Mespath,  1661.  English  forms 
Maspeth  and  Mashpath  occur  in  1703.  The  name 
may  have  been  applied  to  the  resident  at  the 
swamp  and  his  family,  but  the  word  bears  great 


128  Indian  Place-Names 

resemblance  to  Mecht-pe-es-it,  "at  the  bad  water 
place,"  which  would  apply  to  the  locality,  a  low 
swampy  region,  now  being  gradually  covered 
by  the  march  of  improvements.  It  may  be  the 
parallel  of  the  Micmac  (Rand)  mespaak,  "over- 
flowed" (by  the  tide).  The  locality  even  now  is 
occasionally  overflowed  by  the  water  backing  up 
on  very  high  tides.  See  Algonquian  Series,  vol. 
ii.,  pp.  39-41. 

190.  MESSEMENNUCK,  Messememuck:  a  creek 
at  the  head  of  Peconic  Bay.  Mentioned  in  the 
testimony  of  Paucamp  in  1660,  "an  Indian  then 
80  years  of  age,  descended  from  the  House  of 
the  Sachems  in  the  end  of  the  Island,"  who 
testified:  "that  the  first  in  his  time  [the  Acaboug 
Indians]  did  possesse  the  upland  and  meadows  in 
the  swamp  side  of  the  river  being  in  the  west  end 
of  the  Bay  five  creeks,  the  first  Messemennuck, 
the  second  Nobbs,  the  third  Suggamuck,  the 
fourth  Weekewackmamish,  the  fifth  Toyoungs," 
(Book  of  Deeds,  vol.  ii.,  p.  213,  Office  of  theSec'y 
of  State,  Albany,  N.  Y.).  In  some  copies  the 
name  appears  as  Messememuck.  There  is  some 
difficulty  about  locating  this  creek,  owing  to  the 
encroachment  of  water  on  the  land,  for  there  is  a 
tradition  extant,  that  the  present  Flanders  Bay 
was  originally  landlocked  and  has  been  opened 
during  the  past  two  hundred  years.  If  this  is  not 
a  fact,  then  we  must  give  the  name  to  LoPontz 


On  Long'  Island  129 

or  Havens'  Creek,  which  empties  into  Flanders 
Bay  thence  into  Peconic  River  at  Broad  Meadows 
Point.  If  tradition  is  correct,  we  must  give 
the  name  to  the  Peconic  River.  This  seems  to 
be  corroborated  by  early  records.  The  name  is 
to  be  interpreted  as  Messem-amuck,  "an  alewife 
fishing-place,"  from  messem  =  Massachusetts 
(Cotton),  ommis-suog;  Narragansett,  aumswog 
(Williams) ;  Pequot,  umsuauges  (Stiles) ;  Abnaki, 
aumsoo-ak,  "alewives"  (Alosa  vernalis,  Mitch.); 
-amuck,  "a  fishing-place."  We  find  in  the 
deposition  of  Rev.  Thos.  James,  1667,  that 
Paquatoun,  the  Montauk  Counselor,  told  him: 
"that  the  bounds  of  the  Shinacut  Indians:  since 
the  conquest  of  those  Indians;  which  formerly 
many  years  since  lived  at  Ackobauk:  did  reach  to  a 
river  where  they  use  to  catch  ye  fish  we  commonly 
called  Alewives:  the  name  of  that  River:  he  said 
is  Pehick-konuk  .  .  .  two  other  old  women  in- 
formed him:  that  they  gathered  flags  for  matts 
within  that  tract  of  land :  But  since  those  Indians 
were  conquered  that  lived  att  Ackobauk  the  Shino- 
cut  bounds  went  to  the  river  Pehik  konuk  where 
the  Indians  catched  Alewives"  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i., 
pp.  260,  261;  MunselTs  Hist.  S.  C.,  E.  H.  town). 
Wood  thus  describes  the  fish  in  question:  "Ale- 
wives be  a  kind  of  fifh  which  is  much  like  a  herring, 
which  in  the  latter  part  of  Aprill  come  up  to  the 
frefh  Rivers  to  spawne,  in  such  multitudes  as  is 
almoft  incredible,  preffing  up  in  fuch  fhallow 


130  Indian  Place-Names 

water  as  will  fcarce  permit  them  to  swimme,  having 
likewife  fuch  longing  defire  after  the  frefh  water 
ponds,  that  no  beatings  with  poles,  or  forcive 
agitations  by  other  divices,  will  caufe  them  to 
returne  to  the  fea,  till  they  have  caft  their  fpawne 
(N.  E.  Prospect,  1634,  P-  38)-  See  Suggamuck. 

191.  MESSTOPASS:  a  dirty  hole  of  water  near 
Mannatto  Hill,  in  the  town  of  Oyster  Bay.     A 
boundary  mark  in  the  Indian  deed  of  Nov.   1 8, 
1695,  viz.:   "from  thence  to  ye  sd  Hole  of   dirt 
and  water  near  Mannatto  Hill  called  by  the  Indians 
Messtoppas"  (Thompson,  vol.  i.,  p.  507).     In  De 
Kay,  Messtopass.     The  Delaware  machtit, ' '  filthy, ' ' 
"dirty";  mecht,  "bad";  Massachusetts,  nuppisse, 
"a  small  pool  of  water";  indicate  the  etymology 
of  the   name,  Macht'uppisse,  "a  filthy   pool  of 
water. " 

1 92 .  MIAMEGG  :  a  creek  near  the  present  village 
of  Jamesport,    Riverhead    town.     The    name    is 
found  on  record  in  the  Indian  deed  of  March  14, 
1648,     viz.:    "Provided    the     aforesaid     Indians 
(Occomboomaguns  and  the  wife  of  Mahahannuck) 
may  enjoy  during  their  lives,  a  small  peice  of  land, 
to   Plant    upon,   lying   between   the   two   creeks 
Miamegg  and  Assasquage"  (Book  of  Deeds,  vol. 
ii.,  p.  210,  Office  of  the  Sec'y  of  State,  Albany, 
N.  Y.).    Variants  are  Miamogue  (Munsell's  Hist. 
S.   C.)\  Miomog    (Thompson,    1845);    Wyamaug, 


On  Long'  Island  131 

etc.  This  name  was  originally  applied  to  the 
creek,  and  not  to  the  point,  as  stated  in  some 
of  the  Island  histories.  It  is  probably  from  the 
equivalent  of  the  Narragansett  midwene,  "a 
gathering  together,"  "a  meeting";  Massachu- 
setts (Eliot)  miyaneog,  "they  gather  together"; 
miy-amaug,  thus  means  "a  meeting  fishing- 
place"  from  miy,  "together";  -amaug,  "fishing- 
place."  That  is,  a  locality  where  the  Indians 
came  together  to  fish,  probably  for  alewives,  or 
menhaden  to  be  used  for  fertilizing  their  corn- 
fields. 

193.  MIAMOGUE:    "The  village  of  Jamesport, 
Riverhead  town,  is  very  pleasantly  situated  on  a 
point  projecting  into  Peconic  Bay  and  bearing  the 
Indian  name  Miamogue"  (Munsell's  Hist.  S.  C.}. 
See  Miamegg. 

194.  MINASSEROKE:  Little  Neck,  now  called 
"Strong's    Neck,    at    Setauket."     Little    Neck, 
called  by  the  Indians  Minasseroke,  lies  between 
Old-field  or  Conscience  Bay  and  Setauket  Harbor. 
It  is  believed  to  have  been  thickly  populated,  and 
a  favorite  residence  of  the  Sachem.     A  part  of 
it   is  still  designated   as   the   "Indian   Ground," 
which  was  originally  conveyed  by  the  natives  to 
Andrew    Gibb,    in    1685"    (Thompson's    L.    /., 
vol.  i.,  p.  431).     De  Kay  gives  Minesuc  and  Min- 
asouke.     In  the  Brooklyn  Eagle  Almanac,   1888, 


132  Indian  Place-Names 

1889,  1890,  I  derived  this  name  from  the  huckle- 
berry or  some  other  small  berry  formerly  gathered 
there  (Chippewa,  minais,  "little  berry" ;  Delaware, 
minall,  "huckleberry").  This  may  be  wrong  and 
the  true  meaning  may  be  found  in  the  above 
quotation,  viz.:  "Indian  Ground,"  being  an  old 
Indian  corn-field,  maize  land,  and  the  word  turn 
out  to  be  an  abbreviation  of  Eachimineas-auke, 
"corn  land." 


195.  MINAUSSUMS:  a  neck  of  land  in  the  town 
of  Brookhaven,  so  named  in  an  Indian  deed  of 
April     i,    1690.     An    error    for    Winnecroscoms 
(q.v.). 

196.  MINNAHANONCK  :    Blackwell's  Island    in 
the  East  River.     In  1637:    "Two  chiefs  of  the 
Marychtenwikingh    (in  Brooklyn)   surrender   and 
convey  to  Wouter  Van  Twiller,  Director  General 
of  New  Netherland,  two  islands,  situate  in  the 
Helle  gat,  of  which  the  larger  is  called  Tenkenas 
and  the  smaller  Minnahanonck,  lying  to  the  west 
of  the  larger"  (Col.  Hist.  N.  ¥.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  5). 
Also  occurs  as  Minnehanock  (French's  Gazetteer, 
p.    419,    Note).     The    same    name    is    found    in 
Connecticut   as   Manhannock,    "Wright    Island" 
opposite  Wethersfield.     According  to  Trumbull, 
"The    name    (  =  munnohan-auke)    means   'island 
place'  or  'land  on  the  island.'  "     The  components 


On  Long  Island  133 

of  the  word  would  then  be  minnahan,  "island"; 
-onck,  -ock  (-auke),   "land,"  "place." 

197.  MINNAPAUGS:  a  small  pond  at  Southold, 
L.  I.  "Little  pond  by  the  sound  at  Hortons  Point, 
sits  like  a  May  Queen,  embowered  in  trees  and 
flowers,  forever  looking  out  upon  the  blue  waters 
of  the  sound"  (Note  by  J.  Wickham  Case, 
S.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  530) ;  Certificate  of  Wm.  Salmon, 
1645:  "  Monnepaught  at  the  fresh  pann"  (S.  R., 
vol.  ii.,  p.  276).  A  deed  of  1649:  "Wm.  Salmon 
sells  three  parts  of  his  upland  lying  betwixt  Tom's 
creeke  and  Mr.  Goodyears  land  reaching  to  a 
fresh  pond  lying  on  the  North  sea  with  an  Island 
of  trees  standing  in  it"  (S.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  176). 
Bounds  of  Hashamomuk,  1660:  "that  land  ad- 
joining Tom's  creek  .  .  .  and  so  along  to  the 
North  east  to  a  place  called  Minnapaugs,  being  a 
little  pond  and  a  parcell  of  trees  standing  by  it" 
(vol.  i.,  p.  208).  These  extracts  describe  the  pond 
and  also  give  its  signification:  Minna-pe-auke, 
"little  island  pond,"  minna  being  the  diminutive 
of  manhan,  denoting  "little  island";  pe-auke, 
"water  place,"  or  paug  (inseparable  generic),  "a 
pond." 

198.  MINNESUNK:  a  word  compounded  in 
1866  by  Mr.  George  R.  Howell,  Assistant  State 
Librarian  at  Albany,  and  bestowed  on  a  pond  in 
Southampton  town  at  North  Sea.  This  name 


134  Indian  Place-Names 

was  probably  made  up  from  the  Siouan  minne, 
signifying  "water,"  and  the  Algonkian  sunk  or 
saunks,  the  "Queen"  or  "Sachem's  wife";  the 
name  being  intended  to  mean  the  "Queen  of  the 
water."  The  first  component  was  evidently 
taken  from  Minnehaha  (cf.  Minnesota,  etc.)  in 
which  word  minne  =  mini,  "water,"  in  the  Teton, 
a  Siouan  dialect.  The  name  is  thus  hybrid 
Siouan-Algonkian.  Delaware  mbi,  "water,"  how- 
ever, appears  in  some  old  vocabularies  as  minne. 
(A.  F.  c.) 

199.  MINNEWITS:   an   island   at   the  western 
end    of     Long    Island    Sound,    probably    either 
"Hart's,"    or    "City    Island."      Mentioned  in  a 
journal  of  a  voyage  in  1663,  viz.:  "When  the  ebb 
was  passed  we  weighed  anchor,  passed  Hellgate 
at  low  water,  and  arrived  by  laveering  and  rowing 
near  Minnewits  Island,  where  we  stopt. "    Also 
Minnewits,  1673  (Col.  Hist.  N.   Y.,  vol.  ii.,  pp. 
385,  655).     Although  resembling,  this  is  not  an 
Indian  name,  but  a  form  of  Minuit,  Peter  Minuit, 
a  former  owner    of  the  island  and  Director  of 
New  Netherland;  his  name   is  sometimes  given 
in  the  early   records  as    Minnewits    (Col.  Hist. 
N.  Y.,  vol.  i.,  p.  291). 

200.  MINNISAIS:  Bedlow's  Island,  New  York 
Harbor,  now  the  site  of  the  Statue  of  Liberty. 
It  is  a  Chippewa  name  bestowed  by  Henry  R. 


On  Long'  Island  135 

Schoolcraft  in  1843,  — Minnisais,  "the  lesser  is- 
land" (Go wans 's  Bibliotheca  Americana;  Trans- 
actions, N.  Y.  Hist.  Soc.,  1844). 

201.  MIRRACHTAUHACKY:  Dutch  notation  for 
Montauk.    This   form    of   spelling    is   found   on 
record   in   the  treaty   of   May   29,    1645;   when 
Wittaneymen  Sachem  appeared  before  the  Council 
of  New  Netherland,  declaring  to  be  impowered 
by  his  brethren,   naming  among  other   Weyrin- 
teynich  [Wiandance],  Sachem  of  Mirrachtauhacky 
(Col.  Hist.  N.  F.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  60).     De  Kay  cites: 
11  Merautahacky   an   unknown   locality   on   Long 
Island"  (Indian  Names  of  L.  /.).     See  Montauk. 

202.  MISPATUCK,  Mispotuck:  a  neck  of  land  in 
Islip  town.     In  the  deed  by  the  Van  Cortlandts 
to  John  Mowbray,  March  2,  1705,  for  the  neck 
called    Compawis  .  .   .  bounded    west    by    neck 
called  Misputuck  .  .  .  Mispotuck  neck  bounded 
west  by   Apple    tree  neck"   (Letter  from  O.  B. 
Ackerly,  Esq.).     A  deed  of  1703,  calls  this  neck 
Missatuck.    Again  Thompson   (L.  I.,  vol.  i.,  p. 
447)  has,  "Thence  to  Mispatuc  (or  UdalTs  Brook) 
on  the  west."     Later  still  the  name  appears  as 
Masquetux.     In  my  Algonquian  Series  (vol.  ii., 
pp.  41-42)  I  suggested  the  same  derivation  for 
Mispatuc,    as    Maspeth,    "an    overflowing    tidal 
stream,  or  a  bad  water  place."     I  see  no  reason 
for  changing  the  etymology.     See  Mespaetches. 


136  Indian  Place-Names 

203.  MISSATUCK:  a  neck  of  land  and  brook  in 
the  western  part  of  Islip  town.     The  brook  is  now 
designated  as  Udall's  Brook.     The  Indian  deed 
of  June  i,  1703,  to  the  Van  Cortlandts  for  the 
neck  called   Compowams,  has  the   "neck  called 
Missatuck    on    the    west"     (Thompson's   L.   I., 
vol.  i.,  p.  447).     The  various  names  for  this  neck 
are  so  similar  it  is  hard  to  tell  which  should  be 
the  true  form.     This  form  might  mean  "a  great 
creek  or  river,"  from  massa,  or  missa,  "great"; 
-tuck,    "creek   or   tidal  river";  or  it  may  have 
designated  some  large  tree  which  served   as   a 
bound-mark.       Massa,   "great";  -tugk  or  -tuck, 
"a  tree."     See  Mispatuck  and  Masquetux. 

204.  MISSIPAUG:    name    suggested    by    Mr. 
George  R.  Howell  for  the  "Big  Fresh  Pond"  west 
of  the  road  from  Southampton  to  North  Sea.     The 
Indian  equivalent  of  "big  fresh  pond,"  literally 
"great  water  place"    (Howell's  Hist.  Southamp- 
ton, 2d  ed.,  1887,  p.   141).      The  components  of 
the    word    are    missi,   "great;"    -paug,    "water- 
place,"  "pond." 

205.  MOCHGONNEKONCK:  the  Dutch  notation 
for    Shinnecock.     So    named    in    the    following 
treaty:   "Before  us  the   Director  and   Council  of 
New  Netherland  appeared  Wittaneymen,  Sachem 
of  Mochgonnekonck,  declaring  to  be  empowered 
by  his  brethren,  named  as  follows,  to  wit  Rochkouw, 


On  Long  Island  1137 

the  greatest  Sachem  of  Cotsjewaminck,  Mama- 
wichtouw,  Sachem  of  Catsjeyick,  Weyrinteynich, 
Sachem  of  Mirrachtauhacky,  and  said,  as  well  in  his 
own  name  as  in  that  of  his  brethren  aforesaid,  that 
they  had  taken  under  their  protection  the  villages 
named,  Ouheyinchkingh,  Sichteyhacky ,  Sicketauy- 
hacky,  Nesinckqueghacky,  at  which  place  the 
Matinnekonck  now  reside,  and  Rickouhacky,  and 
requested  to  walk  in  a  firm  bond  of  friendship 
with  us  and  promised  that  the  Christians  should 
experience  at  the  hands  of  his  people,  or  of  those 
above  named  villages,  nothing  but  every  kindness, 
and  as  a  proof  of  their  good  disposition,  they 
offered  to  go  against  our  enemies,  which  he  has 
done,  and  brought  a  head  and  hands  of  the  enemy, 
and  has  agreed  with  us  to  aid  our  people  from 
henceforth  against  the  Indians  our  enemies,  which 
we  have  accepted.  In  ratification  of  this  treaty, 
we  have  given  a  present  to  the  above  named  chiefs, 
with  promise  not  to  molest  them  so  long  as  he  and 
the  above  named  villages  remain  in  their  duty, 
but  to  show  them  all  possible  friendship.  In 
testimony  of  the  truth  the  original  is  signed  by  us, 
confirmed  by  our  seal  and  handed  to  the  chief,  the 
seal  being  pendant  thereto  the  29  of  May,  1645, 
in  Fort  Amsterdam,  New  Netherland"  (Col. 
Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  60.  See  also  Thompson's 
L.  I.  (vol.  i.,  p.  335).  Ruttenber  mistakenly  sup- 
poses the  place  to  be  unlocated  and  the  Sachem 
Wittaneymen  to  be  Takapousha.  The  brethren 


138  Indian  Place-Names 

named  show  that  they  all  belonged  at  the  east 
end.  They  were  given  a  certificate  of  protection 
the  previous  year  (1644)  by  the  English,  wherein 
Wittanaymen  is  spelled  Weenakamin,  thus  proving 
that  he  was  the  Sachem  of  Shinnecock,  or  Moch- 
gonnekonck  of  the  Dutch. 

206.  MOEUNG:  end  of  the  beach  at  Gravesend, 
Queen's  Co.,  N.  Y.     The  Indian  deed  of  July, 
1684,  given  by  Crackewasco,  Arrenopeah,  Mamekto 
and  Annenges  for  a  "parcel  of  land  commonly 
called  by  the  Indians  Makeopaco  beginning  at  the 
most  eastward  end  of  the  beach  called  by  the 
Indians  Moeung  bounded  on  the  westmost  side 
by   the   land   heretofore   purchased   from    Chip- 
pahig"  (Munsell's  Hist.  King's  Co.).      This  name 
probably    refers   to  the  meadows  at  the  end  of 
the  beach :  Moe-ung,  ' '  black,"  or  ' '  miry  place.' '    A 
name  with  the  same  prefix  occurs  in  Stonington, 
Conn.,  as  Mooapaske,  which  Trumbull  translates 
a  "black,  muddy,  or   miry  land,  Md>e-pesugke." 
The  components  of  the  word  Moeung  would  thus 
be  moe  (  =  Massachusetts  msi,  moyeu,  "ordure," 
"filth,"  "black"),  "filth,"  "mire";  -ung, locative, 
signifying  "place. 

207.  MOGKOMPSKUT  :  a  large  boulder  on  the 
Hands   Creek   road.     Three   Mile   Harbor,   East 
Hampton  town.     This  name  was  given  to  me  by 
the  late  Stephen  Pharaoh.     It  signifies  "at  the 


On  Long  Island  139 

great  rock."  I  do  not  know  of  a  larger  one  on 
eastern  Long  Island.  The  component  parts  of 
the  word  are  mogk-,  "great";  -ompsk,  "rock"; 
-ut,  "at." 

208.  MOHANNIS:  a  Sagamore  of  Oyster  Bay. 
See  Sagamore. 

209.  MOMOWETA:   a  pond  at  Mattituck,  now 
called  Lake  Momoweta,  from  the  Sachem  of  Cor- 
chaug.     His  name  occurs  with  those  of  his  three 
brothers  on  the  East  Hampton  Indian  deed  of 
1648.     He  appeared  before  the  Commissioners  of 
the   United  Colonies  of  New  England  in   1644, 
soliciting  peace  and  protection,  there  his  name  is 
spelled  Moughmaitow  (Plymouth  Col.  Rec.,  vol. 
ix.,  p.  18);  Mowmetow  (Thompson's  L.  /.,  vol.  i., 
p.  365).     Also  Mamawichtouw  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y., 
vol.   i.,   p.   60).     The   word   Momoweta  =  mohmo- 
wetuo,    "he  gathereth   or  brings  together  in  his 
house."     The  components  are  momo  (  =  Massa- 
chusetts mohmo),  "to  gather  or  bring  together"; 
-weta  ( =  Massachusetts  wetu] ,  ' '  house. ' ' 

210.  MONABAUGS:  a  swamp,  pond,  and  creek 
between  Potunk  and  Ketchaponack  Necks  in  west- 
ern Southampton  town,  at  West  Hampton.     Re- 
corded in  1683,  viz.:  "Bounded  east  by  the  creek 
comonly   called  Monobaugs,"  1686:    "to  another 
white  oak  tree  standing  by  the  west  side  of  the 


140  Indian  Place-Names 

swamp  of  Monabaugs,  about  twenty  pole  above 
yt.  head  of  the  pond  called  Monabaugs"  (S.  H.  R., 
vol.  ii.,  pp.  114,  276).  From  the  possessive  ter- 
mination, "the  swamp  of  Monabaugs,"  this  name 
appears  like  a  personal  one  although,  in  this  case, 
the  Indian  may  have  taken  his  name  from  the 
pond.  The  word  is  the  equivalent  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts (Eliot)  monoi,  "deep";  -baug,  often 
occurring  as  a  variation  of  -paug,  "a  water  place, " 
"a  pond,"  thus  making  the  meaning  "a  deep 
pond." 

211.  MONCORUM:  Coram,  Brookhaven  town. 
This  early  form  of  Coram  is  found  in  an  order  to 
Richard   Woodhull,    concerning   a   new   way   on 
Long    Island    (this    is    the    present    old   Middle 
Country  road),  dated  August  1677,  viz. :     "That  a 
new  way  designed  and  ordered  in  Gov.  Nicoll's 
time    through    the    middle    of    the    Island    from 
Huntington  Eastward  to  Southampton  and  South- 
hold   bee   nott   only   remarked,    but   sufficiently 
cleared  of  brush  where  occasion  by  emplo}dng 
Indyans  or  others:  .  .  .   and   that  hee  settle   a 
farme — at    or    about    Moncorum"    (Col.    Hist., 
N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  729).     See  Coram. 

212.  MONOCKNONG:  a  name  of  Staten  Island, 
Richmond  Co.,   N.   Y.    "Staten   Island,  we  are 
informed   by    De    Vries,    was    occupied   by   the 
Monatans  who  called  it  Monocknong  with  a  verbal 


On  Long'  Island  141 

prefix.  The  termination  is  ong,  denoting  locality ; 
manon  is  the  iron-wood  tree,  ack  denotes  a  tree 
or  trunk,  and  admits  a  prefix  from  manadun, 
'bad.'  By  inquiry  it  does  not  appear  that  the 
iron- wood,  although  present,  ever  existed  in 
sufficient  abundance  to  render  the  name  from 
that  characteristic.  The  other  is  too  late  to 
investigate.  It  is  believed  the  expression  had 
an  implied  meaning,  and  denotes  the  Haunted 
Woods"  (Schoolcraft).  This  theory  cannot  be 
correct.  Mr.  Schoolcraft  has  analyzed  the  word 
on  a  wrong  basis,  and  finished  by  saying  it  denotes 
the  "Haunted  Woods."  This  is  not  descriptive, 
from  an  Indian's  standpoint,  as  is  proven  by  other 
names  in  this  work  being  simply  descriptive  and 
not  romantic.  See  Aquehonga  Manacknong. 

213.  MONTAUK :  point  of  land  and  peninsula  on 
the  eastern  end  of  the  island  in  East  Hampton 
town,  the  locality  from  which  the  principal  island 
tribe  derived  their  name.  In  the  Indian  deed  to 
Gov.  Eaton  of  New  Haven  and  his  associates  in 
behalf  of  the  inhabitants  of  East  Hampton  town, 
we  find  it  given:  "All  land  lying  from  bounds  of 
Southampton  unto  the  east  side  of  Napeak,  next 
unto  Meuntacut  high  land"  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i., 
p.  3;  S.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  51).  In  the  published 
records  of  this  town  and  sister  towns  on  Long 
Island  the  variations  in  spelling  are  almost  as 
numerous  as  the  occurrence  of  the  name;  among 


142  Indian  Place-Names 

them  are:  Meantaucutt,  1656;  Meantaquit,  1660; 
Meantauket,  1666;  Meantucket,  1668;  Menataukett, 
1672;  Meantaukut,  1674;  Meuntaukut,  1676;  Mean- 
tank,  1687;  Mantack,  1692,  etc.  The  signification 
has  been  variously  given,  all  without  a  doubt  being 
in  error.  Jones's  Indian  Bulletin  for  1867  derives 
it  from  the  Massachusetts  (Eliot)  muttaag,  "a 
standard,  pillar,  or  ensign."  Dr.  J.  H.  Trumbull, 
the  eminent  Algonkian  student,  suggests  that  the 
word  is  probably  a  form  of  manatuck,  a  name 
frequently  bestowed  on  high  or  hilly  land  through- 
out New  England,  and  denotes  "a  place  of  obser- 
vation, "  "  a  place  for  seeing  (or  to  be  seen)  far  off, " 
and  not,  as  he  once  believed,  from  manati, 
"island. "  Dr.  Trumbull  quotes  the  deed  of  1648 
from  Thompson's  L.  I.  where  it  is  misspelled  as 
Mountacutt.  The  late  David  Gardiner,  in  Chroni- 
cles of  East  Hampton,  1840,  1871  (also  Ayres's 
Legends  of  Montauk},  gives  it  as  "the  hilly  land 
or  country  "  from  having  been  called  in  early 
records  the  " Meuntacut  high  land."  The  writer 
suggested  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  iv.,  Introduction)  another 
derivation, — one  that  has  both  tradition  and 
history  to  support  it,  beside  the  parallels  from 
neighboring  dialects  that  prove  its  correctness. 
On  the  Montauk  high  lands  were  located  the 
palisadoed  inclosures  of  the  tribe — their  places 
of  refuge  in  time  of  danger  and  peril.  The  first 
fort  of  which  we  have  any  knowledge  is  mentioned 
in  the  Montauk  deed  of  1662,  the  bounds  of 


On  Long'  Island  143 

which  went  west  to  "where  the  old  Indian  fort 
stood,"  at  Nominick  Hills  on  the  "east  side  of 
N apeak."  The  new  fort,  "still  standing"  in 
1662,  was  located  on  what  is  still  called  "Fort 
Hill,"  at  Fort  Pond,  overlooking  the  bay.  The 
outlines  of  this  fence  inclosure  (180  feet  square) 
can  still  be  traced  after  a  lapse  of  over  two  cen- 
turies. Meantaukut  or  Meuntaukut  is  therefore  the 
parallel  of  the  Massachusetts  (Cotton)  Menehke- 
tduunat,  "fortified";  Meneutausue  (Eliot)  =  " forti- 
fied" (as  in  Isaiah  xxvi.,  10,  pum-meneutausue 
keitotan  =  "defenced  city,"  literally,  "the  shut 
or  closed  fortified  great  town");  Delaware  men- 
achk,  a  "fort";  menachkasu,  "fortified."  The 
Dutch  form,  Mirrachtauhacky  =  Delaware,  Me'n- 
achk-hacky,  "fort  country."  The  English  form, 
Meuntaukut  =  Massachusetts  Meneutauqut,  "at 
the  fort,"  "fort  country,"  etc.  This  makes  the 
quotation  from  the  deed  of  1648  read:  "Unto 
the  fort-place  high  land."  Wood's  N.  E. 
Prospect,  1634,  p.  2,  ch.  13,  says:  "Thefe 
Forts  fome  be  fortie  or  fiftie  foote  fquare, 
erected  of  young  timber  trees,  ten  or  twelve 
foote  high,  rammed  into  the  ground,  with  un- 
dermining within,  the  earth  being  caft  up  for 
their  fhelter  againft  the  dischargements  of  their 
enemies:  having  loope  holes,"  etc.  See  Brook- 
lyn Eagle  Almanac,  1896,  pp.  54-55.  Also  Algon- 
quian  Series,  vol.  ii.,  15-21,  for  further  account  of 
this  name. 


144  Indian  Place-Names 

214.  MORICHES:  a  neck  of  land  in  the  eastern 
part  of  Brookhaven  town,  from  which  the  three 
villages,  known  as  East,  Centre,  and  Moriches 
proper  take  their  name.  The  earliest  record 
referring  to  this  locality  is  the  deed  of  April  4, 
1683,  from  John  Mayhew,  so-called  Indian  pro- 
prietor of  several  necks  of  land  "upon  ye  south- 
side  of  Long  Island,  to  Doctor  Henry  Taylor 
and  Thomas  Willett  of  Flushing,  viz.:  a  certain 
neck  of  land  at  Unquichoge  commonly  known  by 
ye  name  of  the  Merquices  lying  and  joining  on  the 
west  side  of  the  neck  of  land  by  me  given  to  Thos. 
Townsend  of  Oyster  Bay  ...  ye  said  neck  of 
land  called  the  Merquices."  On  Sept.  25,  1693, 
we  find  that  Aug.  Graham  surveyed:  "Two 
necks  of  land  called  by  ye  name  of  Marigies  and 
Mamanock"  (Law  Papers,  vol.  ii.,  p.  217,  Office 
of  Sec'y  of  State,  Albany,  N.  Y.).  A  deed  1691 
to  Col.  Smith  has:  "Except  the  bottom  of  two 
necks  laid  out  by  markt  trees  being  Meritces  and 
Mamanok  Necks  lying  together,  and  not  going 
further  than  the  head  of  the  creek  which  make 
said  necks,"  and  Fletcher's  Patent  to  Smith, 
1697:  "excepting — so  much  of  the  marshe  and 
necks  of  land — of  Maritches,  and  Mamanuck" 
(B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  90).  Some  variations  are: 
Merquices,  1683;  Meritces,  1691;  Marigies,  1693; 
Maritches,  1697;  Moritches,  1714;  Murichis,  1728; 
Meriches,  1740,  etc.  This  neck  of  land  was  so- 
called  because  it  was  Meritches, — one  time  its 


On  Long'  Island  145 

Indian  owner,  or  dweller  upon  it.  This  name 
appears  among  the  grantors,  in  the  Indian  deed 
for  beach  in  1685  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  pp.  69,  70),  as 
Wene-merit[c]heiv,  =  uold  woman  Meritchew"  or 
" Meritche1  s old  woman";  Wene  =  weenai,  or  iveany 
(Montauk)  wenise  (Narragansett) ,  "an  old  wo- 
man." The  meaning  of  Meritche  has  not  been 
ascertained.  Similar  compounding  of  personal 
names  is  found  in  old  records.  Aquaback  whome 
squa=Ucque-baug-~homes-squaw,  "the  head  of 
the  bay  old  man's  woman"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p. 
60);  Weany  sunk  squaw,  "old  woman  queen" 
(S.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.) 

215.  MOSQUETAH:    Glen    Cove,    Oyster   Bay 
town.     This  name  appears  modernly  as   "Mos- 
quito Cove,"   and  has  the  appearance  of  being 
derived  from  that  irrepressible  insect,  but  it  was 
not.     It  takes  its  name  from  the  extensive  mead- 
ows  bordering    the   cove   or   creek.       Variations 
are:  Mosquetah,  1658;  Musceata,  1667;  Muskitoe, 
1668;  Muchito,  1675.     Mosquetah  corresponds  to 
Narragansett   muskkosqut,  "meadow";   Mohegan 
muxquataug,  "place  of  rushes."     The  same  name 
appears    in    Westerly,    R.   I.,  as    Mukquata,    or 
Muxquataug  (Trumbull's  Indian  Names  in  Con- 
necticut}.    See  Muskyttehool. 

216.  MUNCHOG,  Munchoage:   an  island  in  the 
Great  Pond,  Montauk.     It  is  mentioned  in  the 


146  Indian  Place-Names 

East  Hampton  accounts  for  the  year  1690  when 
"Benj.  Osborn,  Nath.  Talmage  and  John  Miller, 
Jr.  were  paid  five  shillings  each  for  going  to 
Montauk  to  search  Munchog  or  Munchoage." 
The  locality  is  designated  by  an  entry  of  Aug. 
30,  1709:  "when  the  Trustees  ordered  that 
notice  be  given  for  the  sale  of  liberty  to  mow 
what  mowable  grass  may  be  found  within  the 
Indian  field  provided  they  the  buyers  cut  no 
other  than  where  the  rushes  grow — and  also  what 
if  any  may  be  found  mowable  on  the  Island  in 
the  Great  Pond  called  Munchoag."  Same  date: 
"Ichabod  Leeke  is  debtor  by  liberty  of  mowing  in 
the  Indian  field  and  on  Manchoage  as  by  bargain  "; 
(E.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  248;  vol.  iii.,  pp.  216,  219). 
Munchog  seems  to  designate  "an  island  of 
meadow,"  "island  of  rushes"  (from  munni, 
"island";  Narragansett  muskechoge,  "rushes," 
"place  of  rushes").  This  derivation  seems  to  be 
proven  by  the  above  records,  and  in  fact  a  large 
part  of  its  area  is  covered  by  rushes  and  marsh. 
In  Gardiner's  Montauk  Vocabulary,  we  find 
Cum  cheesk,  an  error  for  Mun  cheesk,  "  little  is- 
land";  mun  or  mon,  "an  island" ;  chiank,  "large. " 
From  this,  Mun-chiank,  "large  island,"  being  the 
larger  of  the  two  islands  in  the  Great  Pond. 

217.  MUNNAWTAWKIT:  Fisher's  Island.  Al- 
though nearer  Connecticut  than  to  Long  Island,  it 
belongs  to  New  York  State  and  to  Southold  town. 


On  Long  Island  147 

"This  Island  is  named  by  Roger  Williams,  1637,  as 
one  to  which  the  Pequots  came  to  fish  and  to  plant 
corn"  (Fourth  Series,  Mass.  Hist.  Coll.,  vol.  xxvii., 
pp.  189,  190).  "  M unnawtawkit  seems  to  be  the 
equivalent  of  Montaukit  (Montauk)  and  of  Mana- 
tuck,  with  the  locative  suffix;  and  the  name  may 
have  been  given  to  Fisher's  Island  from  its  high 
western  bluff  or  its  yet  higher  central  hill"  (Trum- 
bull's  Indian  Names  in  Connecticut).  I  cannot 
accept  this  meaning  given  by  Mr.  Trumbull,  and 
would  suggest  as  more  likely  its  derivation  from 
another  study  of  his,  viz. :  "  Narragansett  Munna- 
whatteaug,  "white  fish,  bony  fish"  [fertilizers, 
monoquoteaug  (Eliot),  'they  manure  or  enrich 
the  earth'],  now  corrupted  to  Menhaden  (Alosa 
menhaden,  Mitch.).  The  Indian  name  was  also 
given  to  the  herring  (Clupea  elongata)  and  to  the 
alewife  both  of  which  species  were  used  for  manur- 
ing" (TrumbuH's  Notes  on  Roger  Williams' 's  Key). 
Munnawtawkit  would  then  be  composed  of  mun- 
nawt,  "menhaden"  (to  fertilize);  -awkit,  "land  or 
country,"  "at  the  fertilized  land,"  or  "at  the 
menhaden  country."  This  especially,  as  Williams 
says:' "The  Pequots  went  there  to  fish  and  to 
make  new  fields  of  corn. "  See  Manittuwond. 

218.  MUSKYTTEHOOL  :  a  locality  at  Flatlands, 
King's  Co.  (Munsell's  Hist.  King's  Co.,  p.  71). 
This  is  not  "  Musquito  hole,"  as  some  suppose,  but 
" Musquetaug  hole,"  i.  e.,  "a  pool  of  water  where 


148  Indian  Place-Names 

rushes  grow,"  the  first  part  of  the  name  being 
Musquetaug,  "place  of  rushes."  See  Mosquetah, 
Musquatax. 

219.  MUSQUATAX:  a  creek  on  Mastic  Neck, 
town  of  Brookhaven,   so  named  in  the  Indian 
deed  from  Macarak,  alias  Humphrey,   of  Unke- 
chogue,  for  |-  of  Mastic  Neck,  to  Andrew  Gibb, 
dated  April  I,  1690,  viz. :  "Bounded  west  by  Mus- 
quatax Creek,  and  Minaussums  (Winnacroscombs) 
Neck  to  the  westward ;  east  by  Sunkapogue  Creek 
and  to  Waspeunk  or  Squorums  Neck:  north  by  a 
straight  line  drawn  from  ye  head  of  the  swamp  of 
Sunkapogue   Creek,    to   the   head   oc    swamp    of 
Musquatax  Creek;  and  south  by  the  unplowable 
meadow  and  South  Bay"  (Red  Book  of  Deeds, 
p.  341,  Town  Clerk's  Office,  Southampton,  L.  I. 
Copy  by   Wm.   S.  Pelletreau,   Esq.).     This  is   a 
common  name  and  denotes  "a  place  where  rushes 
grow."     (See   other   names   in   this   deed.)     See 
Mosquetah. 

220.  NABIACHAGE  :  mentioned  in  will  of  Thomas 
Mapes,   August,    1680,   land    in   "  Nabiachage  or 
Matituck"  (Liber  A,  p.  I,  of  Deeds  in  Office  of 
County  Clerk  at  Riverhead,  L.  L).     Nabiachage 
represents  chabia-achu-auke,  ' '  place  of  the  divided 
or  separated  hills."     This  is  a  very  appropriate 
name  for  the  locality,  Mattituck  Creek,  passing  as 
it  does  between  high  hills  on  either  side  (Craven's 


On  Long  Island  149 

History  of  Mattituck,  p.  20).  This  is  the  only 
reference  to  this  name  we  have  been  able  to  dis- 
cover. The  components  of  the  word  are  chabia 
(Massachusetts  chippi),  "separated,"  "divided"; 
adchu,  "hill;"  -auke,  "place." 

221.  NACHAQUATUCK:  a  river  or  creek  at  Cold 
Spring,  L.  I.     The  western  boundary  of  Hunting- 
ton  as   given  in   the   Indian  deed  of  1663,  viz.: 
"Raseokan  Sagamore  of  Matinnicoke  do  sell  to 
Richard  Holbrook  and  others — certain  quantity 
of  land — bounded  on  the  west  side  with  a  river 
commonly  called   by  the  Indians  Nachaquetack" 
(H.  R.,  vol.  i.,p.  i).   Variations  are  Naccaquetack, 
Nackaquatok,   Nackaquatack,   Nachquatuck,    1666. 
This  name  Nachaquatuck  represents  wa-nachaqua- 
tuck,  wanachaquatuck,  "the  ending  tidal  stream," 
so-called  because  it  was  the  western  boundary  of 
Huntington.     The  components  of  the  word  are: 
wanachqua,  "at  the  end  of" ;  -tuck,  "tidal  stream." 

222.  NAGHTOGNK:  Corlear's  Hook,  Manhattan 
Island.     This   form    of   the   name    as    given   by 
Schoolcraft.    Nechtauk  (or  Nechtank),  Dutch  nota- 
tion, in  some  respects  seems  to  be  the  equivalent 
of  Naugatuck  in  Connecticut,  which  derives  its 
name  from  a  remarkable  single  tree,  that  probably 
served  as  a  land  mark,  Naukot-tungk  (Massachu- 
setts nequttugk),    "one    tree"    (Trumbull).     See 
Rechtank. 


150  Indian  Place-Names 

223.  NAHICANS:   tribe   of   Indians   occupying 
what  is  now  called  Montauk  Point ;  and  the  eastern 
part  of  Long  Island,  as  given  on  a  Dutch  map  of 
1616  (CoL  Hist.  N.  F.,  vol.  i.).     It  signifies  the 
"people  of  the  point."     It  might  have  been  ap- 
plied to  Long  Island  by  mistake  for  Narragansett, 
this  being  the  anglicized  name  of  the  country  of 
the  Nahiganeuk  (Nanhigganeuck) ,  the  "  Nahicans" 
of  the  early  Dutch  explorers  (Trumbull).     James 
Mooney  (Handb.  of  Am.  Inds.  N.  of  Mex.,  vol.  i., 
1907,  p.  28)  says:  "Narraganset — 'people  of  the 
small  point,'  from  naiagans,  diminutive  of  naiag, 
'small  point  of  land,'  with  locative  ending,  -et" 

224.  NAMEOKE  :  a  locality  near  Rockaway  vil- 
lage, Hempstead  town,  said  to  be  a  corruption 
of  a  word  meaning  "to  the  water's   edge"  (Out 
on  Long  Island,  p.  13,  1889).     This  is  wrong;  it 
means  a  "fishing  place, "  or  "where  fish  are  taken," 
being  the  same  as  the    Indian    name    of    New 
London,  Conn. :  Nameaug  (Name-auke) ,  from  name, 
"fish";-auke,  "place." 

225.  NAMKEE:  a  brook  or  creek  at  the  western 
bounds  of  Brookhaven  town,   near  Blue  Point, 
called  also  in   the  early  records  Manowtassquot. 
Found  on  record  in  the  Indian  deed  of  1666,  viz. : 
' '  Tobaccus  gives  a  tract  of  land  upon  the  south 
side  of  Long  Island,  meadow  and  upland,  bounded 
on  the  west  by  a  river  called  Namke"  (B.  H.  R., 


On  Long  Island  151 

vol.  i.).  Variants  are  Nanmicuke,  1668 ;  Namcuke, 
1670;  Namko,  1735.  Maps  of  the  Island  give 
it  as  Namkee  and  Namkey.  "Namcook  or  Wama- 
coke  Neck  in  North  and  South  Kingston,  Rhode 
Island,  said  to  signify  a  bank  in  Indian"  (Par- 
sons). It  is  the  same  as  Namkeag,  the  Indian 
name  of  Salem,  Mass.,  and  Nam'-e-auke  or 
Nameock,  New  London,  Conn.,  denoting  a  "fishing 
place,"  or  "where  fish  are  taken,  or  caught." 
The  name  probably  belonged  to  the  mouth  of  the 
creek  and  not  to  the  whole  creek,  where  the 
Indians  had  a  "fishing- weir,"  or  where  they  set 
their  nets,  as  described  by  Roger  Williams.  See 
Nameoke. 

226.  NANEMOSET:  the  name  of  a  brook  or 
creek  of  uncertain  location.  De  Kay  places  it 
in  Southampton.  "In  1663,  the  inhabitants  of 
Setauket  entered  into  an  agreement  with  Capt. 
John  Scott,  to  become  copartners  in  a  tract  of 
land  bounded  easterly  with  Nanemoset  Brook, 
westerly  with  the  Nessaquaque  east  line,  runing 
south  to  the  middle  of  the  Island"  (Thompson's 
L.  I.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  321).  I  once  believed  this  to  be  a 
personal  name  similar  to  Samoset,  but  as  Scott 
conveyed  land  bounded  by  "Quaconsit"  River 
(Wading  River),  this  is  probably  another  name  for 
that  stream  or  its  tributaries,  where  the  Indians 
fished,  and  is  a  variation  of  the  same  name  men- 
tioned in  the  Indian  deed  of  Brookhaven,  1655, 


152  Indian  Place-Names 

Namoss-es-et,  "at  or  about  the  fish-place." 
Eliot  has  Mishe  ketahhane  namossit,  "as  the  fish 
of  the  great  sea"  (Ezekiel  xlvii.,  10).  The  com- 
ponents of  the  word  are:  namos,  "fish";  -es-et,  "at 
or  near." 

227.  NAOSH:  a  name  applied  to  Sandy  Hook, 
N.  Y.  Harbor,  by  Henry  R.  Schoolcraft.     It  was 
taken   from   the  Chippewa,    signifying   "a  point 
surpassing  others"  (Gowans's  Biblioiheca  Ameri- 
cana).    Baraga  gives  the  Chippewa  neidshi,   "a 
point    of    land,    projecting    in    the    lake."     See 
Nayack,  Noyack. 

228.  NAPOCK:   a   locality   mentioned   as   one 
of  the  boundaries  of  Brookhaven,  in  the  Indian 
deed  of    1655,    yiz-:    "Warawakmy    Sachem     of 
Setaucet  sells  a  peice  of  land,  etc.,  adjoining  to 
the  bounds  of  Nesaquagg  and  from  thence,  being 
bounded    with    a   river    or    great    napock,    nerly 
nemaukak,  eastward"   (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.   i). 
I  am  inclined  to  think  the  locality  is  the  long 
series  of   ponds    that  form  the  head  waters  of 
Peconic  River  on  the  bounds  between  Riverhead 
and  Brookhaven  towns.     Its  signification  is  "a 
water-place,"  from  neap,  "  water  ";  -auke,  "land" 
or  "place."     Nipock,  "pool  place,"  is   a  corre- 
sponding Narragansett  term.     See  Nippaug. 

229.  NAQUEETATOGUE :    "In    1691,    Wamcos 


On  Long'  Island  153 

Sagamore  sells  the  upland  of  a  neck  of  land  lying 
on  the  southside  of  the  Island  called  Naqueeta- 
togue"  (Munsell's  Hist.  S.  C.,  Babylon  town). 
This  word  is  an  error  for  Naguntitogue. 

230.  NARRASKETUCK.     See  Warrasketuck. 

231.  NARRIOCH:  Gravesend  Neck,  King's  Co. 
The  neck  terminates  in  a  point.    It  is  cited  in  the 
Indian   release   of    1654,   viz-:  "said  land   called 
Narrioch   (the   Island)    and   Mannahanning   (the 
Neck)"    (Thompson's   L.    I.,    vol.    ii.).      Under 
Mannahanning   Thompson's    error    is    discussed. 
The  name  means  a  "point  of  land";  Massachu- 
setts naiag,   "point,"   "corner";  -auke,   "land." 
See  Nahicans,  Nayack,  and  Noyack. 

232.  NASHAYONSUCK  :   one   of   the   names   of 
Hashamonuk,  Southold  town.     It  belonged  really 
to  a  brook  forming  one  of  the  boundaries  of  the 
neck.     It    is    mentioned    in    the    certificate    of 
William  Salmon,  dated  1645,  recorded  in  1750,  viz. : 
"A  parcel  of  land  comonly  called  Hashammomock 
and  Nashayonsuck,  and  right  over  to  the  North- 
sea  from  Nassayonsuck  to  Monnepaught."     Again 
in   1649:    "Wm.  Salmon  of  Hashamamuck,  alias 
Neshugguncer  (S.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  176;  vol.  ii.,  p.  276). 
It  corresponds  to  the  Massachusetts  Nashaue-suck, 
"the  fork  of  the  brook  or  outlet,"  or  "place  be- 
tween (the  forks  of  the)  brook."     See  Nachaqua- 
tuck. 


154  Indian  Place-Names 

233.  NASSAKEAG:  on  the  south  west  border  of 
Setauket,  Brookhaven  town,  lies  the  locality  called 
by  the  Indian  name  of  Nassakeag  or  by  the  modern 
one  of  South  Setauket.     It  was  originally  applied 
to  a  swamp  at  that  locality,  viz.:    "lying   near 
Nesakaks  swamp — running  westerly  to  Nasakakes 
swamp,"  1697;  Nasakeges  swamp,  1697;  Naskea- 
gue,   1743   (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  pp.  63,  66,   156). 
Nassakeag  was  Sachem  of  the  Nissequogues;  his 
name  is  on  the  quit  claim  to  Richard  Smith  in 
1664.     Another,  or  possibly  the  same,  is  on  the 
Indian  deed  of  Setauket  or  the  "North  purchase" 
of  1675  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  45).     The  swamp 
derives  its  name  from  being  his  residence  or  he 
may   have   taken   the   name   from   the   swamp. 
The  word  is  possibly  the  parallel  of  the  Chippewa 
(Baraga)  nawashkig,  "in  the  middle  of  a  swamp"; 
(nawaii,  "middle";  mashkig,  "swamp  "). 

234.  NASSECONSET:  Sachem  of  the  Nissequo- 
gues in  1650.     Variations  are:  Nasseconsack,  1650; 
Nesconsake,    1663;   Nassesconset,    1664;   Nesatas- 
consett,   1665.     Nesconset,   Post  Office  in  Smith- 
town,  so  adopted  in  1908.     It    is  located  midway 
between    Smithtown    and    Lake    Ronkonkoma. 
The  Sachem  probably  takes  his  name  from  his 
dwelling  place,  as  it  is  a  land  name.     "  Nasses- 
conset's  land,  on  the  east  side  of  Nessequag  River" 
(B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  9).     Nasseconset  corresponds 
to   the    Massachusetts    Nesse-keon-es-et,    "at  or 


On  Long  Island  155 

near  the  second  going  over"  (by  wading  or  other- 
wise). The  word  contains  neese,  "two,"  and  the 
locative  -es-et,  "at  or  near." 

235.  NAYACK:  a  point  of  land  in  the  town  of 
New    Utrecht,    King's    Co.     It    appears    in    the 
early  records  of  New  Netherland,  February  14, 
1652,  viz. :    "  Manhattans  Indians  of  New  Nether- 
land,  living  at  Nayack,  a  place  on  Long  Island 
directly    opposite    Staten    Island."     An    Indian 
deed  of  Dec.  I,  1652:  "For  land  lying  eastward 
of  the  North  River  at  the  heads — the  Indians 
shall  receive  six  coats,  six   kettles,  six   axes,  six 
hatchets,  six  small  looking  glasses,  twelve  knives 
and  twelve  cans  on  condition,  that  they  the  In- 
dians, and  their  descendants  remove  immediately 
from  the  land  now  occupied  by  them  called  Naieck 
and  never  return  to  live  in  the  limits  of  the  dis- 
trict again"  (Col.  Hist.  N.   K,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  160, 
190).     Variations  are  Nayack-Po'mt,  1666;  Najeck, 
1656;  Najack,  1662.     This  is  the  point  on  which 
Fort  Hamilton   is  situated.     The  name  denotes 
a  "point  or  corner  of  land. "     See  Noyack. 

236.  NAYANTACAWNICK  :    an   island,  proposed 
by  Roger  Williams  as  a  suitable  place  of  residence 
for  the  captive  Pequots  in   1637  (Fourth  Series 
Mass.  H.  C.,  vi.,  p.  201).     This  Narragansett  word 
is  for  Nayanticacawmuck,  "over  against  Niantic" 
or  "over  against  the  point  of  land  on  the  tidal- 


156  Indian  Place-Names 

river"  (Fisher's  Island  or  Plum  Island?),  accord- 
ing to  Trumbull's  Indian  Names  in  Connecticut. 

237.  NEAPEAGUE:  the  long  sandy  and  marshy 
beach  that  connects  the   peninsula  of  Montauk 
with  the  main  part  of  the  Island,  East  Hampton 
town,  a  dreary  waste  of  sand,  water,  and  mosqui- 
toes.    It  is  first  entered  on  record  in  1658,  when: 
"Wyandanch  gives  to  Rev.  Thos.  James  half  of 
all  the  whales  or  other  great  fish  that  shall  be  cast 
on  the  beach  from  Napeake  eastward  to  the  end  of 
the  Island"  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p  150).    Variations 
are:  Napeage,   1675;    Napeag,    1700;    Napeague, 
(U.    S.    Coast    Survey);    modernly    Neapeague, 
Nap-pe'ag,   etc.     It    signifies  the   "water  land"; 
in    the    Montauk    dialect    Niepeage,    from    niep 
(Massachusetts   nip    or    nippe}    "water";   -eage 
(Massachusetts  -auke) ,  "land." 

238.  NECKAPAUGE:  creek  in  the  town  of  Islip. 
This  name  appears  on  an  old  map  of  the  Nicoll 
patent,  where  the  creek  west  of  Sayville  (now 
Green's  Creek),  being  the  eastern  bound  of  this 
patent,  is  called  Neckapauge,  because  the  begin- 
ning boundary  of  the  Nicoll  patent.     Neckapauge 
corresponds  to  Massachusetts  Nequt-pe-auke,  "one 
(or   the    first)    water-place,"    from    nequt,   "one 
(or    at    the    beginning)";    -pe,    "wattr";    -auke, 
"land, "or  "place." 


On  Long  Island  157 

239.  NECOCHAWODT:   "Uncertain  location  in 
Hempstead,  Queen's  Co."  (De  Kay).     This  is  a 
mistake,  for  it  is  not  a  place  but  a  personal  name, 
although  it  may  have  been  applied  to  some  local- 
ity at  some  period  (this  I  have  not  been  able  to 
verify).     Mecohgawodt   was    the    Sachem   of   the 
Massapeags  in  1639.     He  conveyed  all  his  terri- 
tory from  the  Rockaways  to  the  country  of  the 
Secatogues  to  the  Dutch.     The  name  occurs  also 
as  Mechowodt.     See  Marossepinck. 

240.  NECOMMACK:  see  Noccomack. 

241.  NEGUNTATOGUE  :  a  neck   of  land  south 
of    the   settlement    of    Breslau    between    "Little 
Neck"   and   " Santapogue, "   Babylon  town;  one 
of  the  five  necks  of  meadow  land  bought  from 
the  Indians  in  1657.     On  March  2,   1663,  John 
Sticklin,  widower,  of  the  town  of  Crafford,  alias 
Jemeco,  sells  to  Gabriel  Finch  "a  lott  of  meddow 
upon   the   neck   called    Neguntetake."     In    1666 
Finch    sells    the    same:    "lying   upon    the    neck 
called  Nagunttatauge"  (H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  pp.  55,  82). 
Variations  are:  Neguntataug,   1669;  Nagunttatoug, 
1669;  Naguntatogue,    1684.     This  name  signifies 
"abandoned,"  or,  "forsaken  land. "    The  first  part 
naguntta  is  the  parallel  of  the  Delaware  rigattasu, 
"abandoned"  (rigattummen  "to  leave  behind"); 
Abnaki,  negati,  "to  abandon,"  "to  quit";  Chip- 
pewa,  nin  nagadam,   "I    abandon  it";    Cree,  ni 


158  Indian  Place-Names 

natataw,  "I  abandon  it."  The  same  radical  is 
found  in  the  Narragansettaquegunnitteash,  "fields 
worn  out."  No  doubt  upon  this  neck  were  lo- 
cated fields  formerly  planted  by  the  Indians,  which 
were  abandoned  for  better  land,  perhaps  for  the 
neck  lying  to  the  eastward  called  Anuskkummikak, 
"land  we  hoe  or  break  up." 

242.  NEMAUKAK:  a  locality  mentioned  in  the 
Indian    deed    of  Brookhaven   dated    1655,    viz.: 
"being  bounded  with  a  river  or  great  Napock, 
nerly  nemaukak  eastward"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  i). 
The  exact  locality  is  now  unknown.     The  name 
is  probably  namo-auk-ut,  "at  the  fishing-place." 
Related  is  Nemasket,  "fish  place"  in  Boston  Har- 
bor, Mass.     See  Nanemoset. 

243.  NESAQUAQUE    ACCOMPSETT:    a    locality 
mentioned  in   an   order   issued  by  Gov.  Nicolls, 
concerning  the  Smithtown  boundary  in  1670,  viz.: 
"Declaring  and  offering  to  prove  that  ye  Nesa- 
quake  lands  lay  on  both  sydes  of  ye  Ryver,  and 
that    parte    lyeing    on    ye    west    syde    comonly 
called    Nesaquaque    Accompsett    did    extend    as 
farre  as  ye  fresh  pond  westward"    (H.  R.,  vol.  i., 
p.  170).     This  name  can  be  resolved  into  Nesaqu- 
auke  Accomp-es-et,  "at  the  place  over  against  the 
land  on  the  forks  of  the  river,"   "land  on  the 
other  side  of  Nissequogue. ' '     The  components  are 
nesaqu-,  "fork"  (  =  Delaware  lechauwaak) ;  -auke, 


On  Long  Island  159 

"land";  accomp-  (  =  Massachusetts  ogkome;  Chip- 
pewa  agami),  "on  the  other  side,"  "over  against 
as  a  whole";  -es-et,  "at  the  place,"  "in  the  neigh- 
borhood of. ' ' 

244.  NESCONSET:  a  post-office  in  Smithtown. 
See  Nasseconset. 

245.  NESHUGGUNCER  :    a   corrupted   form    of 
Nashayonsuck    (q.    v.).     Compare    also    Neshun- 
ganset  Brook  in  Rhode  Island,  near  the  Connecti- 
cut line. 

246.  NIAMU:K:    Canoe    Place,    Southampton 
town.     Being  the  narrow  isthmus  that  separates 
the    two   bays    of  Shinnecock  and  Peconic,  now 
connected  by  Shinnecock  canal.     First  found  on 
record  in   1662,  viz.:    "Part   of   the   Shinnecock 
Indians  have  made  over  all  their  land  from  Nia- 
mack  over  to  the  old  gutt  westward  unto  Capt. 
Topping"    (S.   H.   R.,   vol.    ii.,   p.    27).      Again, 
"lying  from  a  place  called  Niamuck  or  ye  Canoe 
Place"  (Indian  Deed,  1666).     Variants  are  Nia- 
mug,  1667;  Niamocke,  1667.     The  meaning  of  the 
name  is  "between  the  fishing-places,"  from  ni, 
"between,"  "midway";  -amaug,  "  a  fishing-place  " 
(Trumbull) .     Both  bays  to-day  are  favorite  resorts 
of  the  fishermen. 

247.  NIPPAUG:  name  suggested  by  Mr.  George 
R.     Ho  well,    in    his    History     of     Southampton 


160  Indian  Place-Names 

(2ded.f  1888),  for  "Little  Fresh  Pond,"  between 
Southampton  village  and  North  Sea;  said  to 
signify  a  "small  body  of  fresh  water."  But, 
according  to  Trumbull  and  other  authorities, 
this  name  signifies  "water-land"  (from  nippe, 
"water";  -auke,  "land,"  "place").  Nappeag  is 
another  form  of  the  same  word.  See  Napock. 

248.  NIPSCOP:  a  tract  of  land  in  the  western 
part  of  Islip  town,  partly  in  Babylon,  now  the 
farm    of    Austin    Corbin,    Esq.       "John   Reeve, 
Sheriff  of  Suffolk  Co.,  will  sell  at  Public  Auction, 
all  the  right  and  title  of  John  Whitman,  of  and  to, 
a  certain  farm  situated  in  part  of  the  town  of 
Huntington  known  by  the   name   of  Conkling's 
Farm  or  Nipscop"  (Suffolk  Gazette,  Sag  Harbor, 
April  22,  1809).     Inquiry  fails  to  reveal  anything 
in  regard  to  this  place,  except  that  this  has  been  the 
traditional  name  of  the  locality  beyond  the  memory 
of  any  living  person. 

249.  NISINCKQUEGHACKY  :  a  locality  mentioned 
in  De  Kay's  Indian  Names,  as  being  a  village  of 
the    Matinnecocks    at    Smithtown.     We    find    it 
referred  to  in  1645  as  "  Nisinckqueghacky  at  which 
the   Mattinekonck  now  reside."     It  is   a   Dutch 
notation  for  Nissequogue  or  Nashoqu-auke.     See 
Mochgonnekonck,  Nissequogue. 

250.  NISSEQUOGUE:  a  river  and  hamlet  in  the 
town  of  Smithtown.     Formerly  applied  to  a  tribe 


On  Long  Island  161 

of  Indians  and  to  the  land  on  which  they  lived  at 
the  eastward  of  the  river.  Dutch  Records  of 
1645:  "  Nisinckqueghacky  being  a  place  where  the 
Matinnecocks  now  reside,"  showing  that  the  Nesa- 
quogues  were  a  branch  of  that  tribe  who  had 
left  their  early  home.  The  Indian  deed  of  1650: 
"Articles  of  Agreement  between  Nasseconseke, 
Sachem  of  Nesequake — beginning  at  i  River 
called  and  known  by  the  name  of  Nesaquake 
River,"  etc.  Again  in  1664:  "When  Nassecon- 
set  sould  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  unto  Jonas 
Wood  and  others — did  resirve  half  the  sayd 
neck  called  and  known  by  the  name  of  Nesequage 
Neck,  to  himself  and  Indians  to  live  and  to  plant 
upon"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.).  The  late  Hon.  J.  Law- 
rence Smith  in  his  notes  on  Smithtown  (Mun- 
sell's  S.  C.)  has:  "The  tribe  and  river  derived 
their  name  from  Nesaquake,  an  Indian  Sagamore, 
the  father  of  Nasseconset."  This  derivation  of 
the  name  is  certainly  wrong,  for  it  is  a  place-name 
not  a  personal  one,  although  if  he  was  so-called, 
he  may  have  taken  it  from  the  place  where  he 
lived,  as  was  frequently  the  case.  I  have  been 
unable  to  find  any  Indian  of  that  name.  The 
variations  are:  Nesequagg,  1655;  Neesaquock,  1665; 
Nesaquake,  1666;  Nasaquack,  1666;  Neesoquauk, 
1663;  Nesquauk,  1665;  Nesoquack,  1671;  Nassa- 
quake,  1675;  modernly  Nissequogue.  The  main 
theme  of  the  name  seems  to  be  a  derivative  corre- 
sponding to  the  Massachusetts  pissaqua,  "mire," 


162  Indian  Place-Names 

"clay,"  "mud,"  etc. ;  Delaware,  assisquo,  "clay," 
"mud,"  etc.  The  terminal  -hacky,  -ack,  -ake,  de- 
notes "land"  or  "country. "  When  the  word  was 
spoken  by  the  Indians  there  was  evidently  a  nasal 
sound  preceding  the  vowel,  or  an  exchange  of  p  for 
n,  hence  we  have  the  name  N'issaqu-ack  =  nissa- 
quack,  "the  clay  or  mud  country, "  in  the  English 
notation,  or  n '  isinckqueghacky  in  the  Dutch  nota- 
tion, which  may  have  referred  to  its  clay  deposits, 
frequented  by  the  Indians  for  obtaining  a  desirable 
quality  of  clay  for  making  their  pottery  vessels, 
or  to  the  meadows  hereabouts. 

251.  NOBBS:  the  creek  now  known  as  "Goose 
Creek"  near  Flanders,  Southampton  town,  flow- 
ing into  the  Great  Peconic  Bay.     So-called  in  the 
testimony  of  Paucamp  taken  down  in  1660,  who 
mentioned    five    creeks:    "the    second    Nobbs." 
Nobbs  is  possibly  an   abbreviation    of  a  longer 
name;   and   perhaps   the   same   as   the   Micmac 
p'nopsques,  "white-fish,"  "bony-fish,"  also  called 
by    the     Narragansetts    munnawhattea-flg,    "fer- 
tilizers," because  used  by  both  the  Indians  and 
whites  for  manuring  their  land.     They  are  still 
so  used   in  this   section  when  obtainable.     See 
Messemennuck . 

252.  NOCCOMACK:  meadows  and  land  on  the 
west   side   of   Mastic   Neck,   Brookhaven   town. 
The  release  by  Wm.  Smith,   June    I,    1734,    has: 


On  Long  Island  163 

"Confirmed  to  the  inhabitants  the  meadows  on 
the  west  side  of  Mastic  called  Nacomak"  (B.  H.  R., 
vol. i.,p.  133).  Variations  are:  Nacommock,  1734; 
Necommack,  1753;  Noccomack,  1880.  In  Wm. 
Smith's  quit-claim,  1753,  it  is  referred  to  as 
"meadow,  marsh,  or  morish  ground — between 
the  said  river  and  upland"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p. 
170).  Noccomack  =  Na-komuk  signifies  "midway 
place"  or  "place  between,"  i.  e.,  the  upland  and 
bay  as  referred  to  in  the  above  record.  The 
components  of  the  word  are  na  (  =  Massachusetts 
noe)  "in  the  middle";  -komuk,  "place." 

253.  NOMINICK  :  hills  on  Montauk,  East  Hamp- 
ton town.  These  hills  rise  out  of  the  sandy  waste 
of  Neapeague,  forming  the  bold,  rugged  outline 
of  the  western  extremity  of  Montauk. 

Cheerless  Neapeague !  now  bounds  the  heart  to  gain 
The  hills  that  spring  beyond  thy  weary  plain. 

Legends  of  Montauk  (1849). 

Variations  are:  Nummonok,  Naumunack,  Nom- 
monock,  Nominick,  Nomnick.  The  name  is  tradi- 
tional and  does  not  appear  in  the  early  records 
of  the  town.  In  the  Brooklyn  Eagle  Almanac  for 
1888, 1  gave  it  as  meaning  "high  dry  land"  and  in 
the  issue  for  1889  as  "land  or  place  lifted  high," 
deriving  it  from  a  word  corresponding  to  the 
Delaware  aspenumen,  Massachusetts,  uspunnu- 
mun,  "elevated,"  "lifted  high."  I  am  now 


164  Indian  Place-Names 

satisfied  as  to  the  error  of  this,  and  that  the  name 
is  the  equivalent  of  the  Massachusetts  nunnum, 
"to  see"  (naumunat,  "to  be  seen"),  Delaware, 
nemeneep, ' '  I  have  seen. ' '  Thus  we  have  naumun- 
auke,  "land  to  be  seen  (afar  off)." 

254.  NONOWANTUCK:  said  to  be  the  Indian 
name  of  Mount  Sinai,  Brookhaven  town.     It  be- 
longed originally  to  a  creek  and  not  to  the  land. 
I  have  been  unable  to  find  any  early  forms,  the 
name  as  far  as  I  can  learn  is  traditional.     The 
locality  at  a  very  early  date  was  known  as  the 
"Old  Man's"  from  an  old  Indian  resident.     An 
old  decrepit  Indian  was  designated  as  an  "old 
Homes11  (see  Smithtown  Certificate,  1663;  Mun- 
sell's  S.  C.;  Massetewse's  Deed,  1664;  B.  H.  R., 
vol.  i.,  p.  12).     The  first  part  nonowan  is  the  same 
as    the    Narragansett    (R.    Williams)    nunnowa, 
"harvest  time,"  literally  "it  is  dry."     With  the 
affix  -tuck,   "a   creek,"  we  have   nunnowa-tuck, 
"a  creek  that  dries  up,"   "a  dry  creek."     Into 
the  west  side  of  the  harbor  a  small  stream  once 
found  its  way  from  the  plains  of  the  interior. 
This  was  called  the  "Crystal  Brook,"   and  the 
valley  left  by  it  is  still  known  by  that    name 
(Bayles's  Notes  on  Mount  Sinai;  Munsell's  Hist. 
S.  C.). 

255.  NOSH:   a   lot   of  land   at   Southampton, 
L.  I.     Under  a  record  of  1693,  we   find:   "a  lot 


On  Lon§£  Island  165 

in  the  ox  pasture  going  under  the  name  of  a 
nosh  lot — by  reason  of  the  woody  ness  of  it" 
(S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  129).  The  word  may  not 
be  Indian,  but  is  probably  a  variant  of  bosk,  "a 
thicket"  or  "small  forest  (bosky,  woody,  or 
bushy)  covered  with  boscage  or  thicket."  The 
origin  would  thus  be  from  the  Dutch  bosch,  "a 
thicket,"  "bush." 

256.  NOWEDONAH:  name  of  the   Shinnecock 
Sachem  in  1648.     Now  bestowed  upon  the  "Mill 
Pond"  at  Water  Mill,  Southampton  town.    This 
will  perpetuate  the  name  of  one  who  probably 
paddled  in  its  waters  and  fished  in  the  depths  of 
Lake  Nowedonah.     He  is  said  to  have  been  the 
youngest  of  the  four  brothers  who  were  the  Sa- 
chems of  the  four  eastern  Long  Island  tribes;  and 
he  was  the  same  Sachem  previously  known  as 
Wittaneymen.     Some  histories  give  the  name  as 
Nowedinah.     The  name  Nowedonah   corresponds 
to    the    Delaware    natonawoh,    "I    seek    him," 
(n'dona,   "seek";  nemauwi  n'donamen,   "I  '11  go 
and  seek  it").     In  fact   the  word  signifies  "the 
seeker."     He    probably    received    this    name   in 
1645,  when  he  went  "to  find"  or  "to  seek  out" 
the    enemies    of    the   Dutch.     See    Mochgonne- 
konck. 

257.  NOYACK:    a  hamlet   in  the  township  of 
Southampton,  on  Noyack  Bay  about  four  miles 


166  Indian  Place-Names 

from  Sag  Harbor.  In  1668:  "At  a  meeting  of 
the  nebours  of  the  North  Sea  have  granted  to  Mr. 
John  Jennings  that  he  shall  (have)  liberty  to 
fence  in  a  peice  of  the  North  side  of  Noyack  river," 
etc.  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  241).  In  1686:  "that 
Mr.  Obadiah  Rogers  shall  have  the  stream  at 
Noyak  to  set  a  fulling  mill  upon"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii., 
p.  206).  Variants  are  Noyack,  1686;  Noiack,  1712. 
Modernly  the  word  is  spelt  Noyac  or  Noyack.  The 
name  signifies  ' '  a  point  or  corner  of  land."  Noyack 
corresponds  to  the  Massachusetts  Naiag,  "point" 
or  "corner."  Trumbull  (Notes  to  the  Narr. 
Club  ed.  of  R.  Williams's  Key}  remarks:  "I  may 
be  permitted  to  suggest  that  nai,  'having  cor- 
ners,' and  naiag  or  naiyag  (as  Eliot  writes  the 
word),  'a  corner'  or  'angle,'  gave  the  name  to  many 
points  of  land  on  the  sea-coast  and  rivers  of  New 
England,  e.  g.,  Nayatt  Point  in  Barrington,  Mass., 
Nayack  in  Southampton,  L.  I.,"  etc.  Noyack  no 
doubt  takes  its  name  from  the  long  point  or  neck 
of  land  now  known  as  Jessup's  Neck,  at  one  time 
called  " Farrington's  Point." 

258.  OCCAPOGUE:  "The  name  of  a  stream  on 
Long  Island,  N.  Y. "  (Boyd's  Indian  Local  Names}. 
I  cannot  find  any  other  authority  for  this  name. 
It  is  possibly  one  of  the  many  variations  of  Aque- 
bogue,  Riverhead  town.     See  Aquebogue. 

259.  OCCOMBAMACK:  see  Acombamack. 


On  Long  Island  167 

260.  OKENOK:  see  Oguenock. 

261.  OMKALOG:    a   locality    in    the   town    of 
Southampton.     Mentioned    in    the    "Case"    of 
the  Trustees  of  the  Freeholders  and  Commonalty 
of  the  town  of  Southampton  against  the  Mecox 
Bay  Oyster  Company,  1888,  p.  431,  viz.:  "Sept.  2, 
1760,  Ordered  by  said  Trustees  that  Josiah  Good- 
ale  for  8  shillings  which  he  promises  to  pay  to  the 
trustees  of  this  town  shall  and  may  have  liberty 
to  use  and  improve  the  land  which  he  has  already 
cleared  at  Omkolog  for  the  term  of  this  year,  but 
he,  the  said  Goodale,  is  to  clear  no  more"    (Re- 
cords of  the  Proprietors,  p.   119).     W.  J.   Post, 
Esq.,  Town  Clerk,  informs  me  by  letter  that  in  the 
original  record  it  is  Aukabog,  Omkalog  being  an 
error   in   transcribing.     The   land   that    Goodale 
cleared  was  at  Flanders  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  what  is  called  "  Goose  Creek."     See  Aquebogue. 

262.  ONCHECHAUG:  see  Unkechaug. 

263.  ONUCK:  see  Wonunke. 

264.  OOSUNK:  a  locality  on  Yaphank  Creek, 
south  of  the  village  of  Yaphank,   in  the  town 
of  Brookhaven.     In  1808  the  name   appears   as 
Oosence.     See  Asawsunce. 

265.  OPCATKONTYCKE:  a  brook  at  Northport, 
Huntington    town.     Mentioned    in    the    Indian 


168  Indian  Place-Names 

deed  of  the  first  purchase,  1653,  viz.:  "certain 
quantitie  of  land,  lying  and  being  upon  Long 
Island,  bounded  upon  the  west  side  with  a  river 
commonly  called  by  the  Indians  Nachaquetack,  on 
the  north  side  with  the  sea  and  going  eastward 
to  a  river  called  Opcatkontycke"  (H.  R.,  vol.  i., 
pp.  I,  2).  Another  copy:  "to  a  river  called 
Oxeatcontyck"  (Book  of  Deeds,  vol.  ii.,  p.  252, 
Office  of  Sec'y  of  State,  Albany,  N.  Y.).  A  note 
by  Hon.  C.  R.  Street  says,  "This  is  the  stream 
at  the  head  of  Northport  Harbor."  The  ter- 
minal affix  of  this  name,  -tycke  is  an  error  for 
the  inseparable  generic  -tuk,  or  -tuck,  denoting 
"water  in  motion,"  "a  creek,"  or  "tidal  river"; 
the  other  component  oxeatcon=  Massachusetts 
t®skeon  (Eliot),  "a  ford";  Narragansett,  toyuskat, 
"at  the  ford,"  or  "wading-place"  (tocekefuck, 
"let  us  wade").  Oxeatcontuck  thus  signifies  "the 
wading-place  creek."  The  Indian  path  or  trail, 
no  doubt,  crossed  the  creek. 

266.  OPERHOWESECK  :  a  brook  in  Huntington 
town.  At  a  town  meeting,  June  6,  1687:  "It 
was  voted  that  Judge  Pallmer  shall  be  taken 
as  a  trustee  in  our  patent,  only  in  reference  to  ye 
soill  right  of  that  land  betwixt  Operhoweseck  and 
fresh  pond — westward  of  ye  bounds  before  men- 
tioned namely  Opechowseck  which  is  a  small 
brook  running  into  ye  mill  brooke"  (  H.  R., 
vol.  i.,  p.  499).  Probably  this  word  is  for  Chop- 


On  Long  Island  169 

pachau-suck,    "the   place   of   separation   brook." 
See  Choppauhshapaugausuck. 

267.  OPPEAX:    creek    on    Rockaway    Neck, 
Queen's  Co.     On  March  20,  1684,  "  John  Hansen 
petitions  for  a  patent  for  a  tract  of  land  lying  at  a 
creek  called  Oppeax"    (Cal.  of  Land  Papers,  p. 
27,  Office  of  the  Sec'y  of  State,  Albany,  N.  Y.). 
See  Hapax. 

268.  OQUENOCK:  a  neck  of  land  in  the  western 
part  of  Islip  town.     "Oquenock  Neck  corrupted 
to  Oak  Neck  is  said  to  have  been  the  burial  place 
of  the  Indians,  and  this  is  believed  to  be  the  mean- 
ing of  the  word.     Oquenock  Brook  bounds  it  on 
the  east  and  separates  it  from  Saghtekoos  or  Apple- 
tree  Neck"  (Munsell's  Hist.  S.   C.,  Islip).     This 
tradition  is  certainly  wrong,  for  it  is  not  an  Indian 
name,  the  early  form  being  simply  "Oak  Neck," 
which,  by  some  strange  metamorphosis,  has  been 
corrupted  into   the  seemingly   aboriginal  one  of 
Oquenock  or  Okenok  as  it  appears  on  some  maps. 
This  is  proven  by  the  following:  Gov.  Fletcher's 
license  to  Stephen  Van  Courtlandt  to  purchase 
land  of  the  natives  in  1692  says:  "a  neck  of  land 
called  by  the  Indian  name  of  Saghtekoos  and  by 
the  Christians  Appletree  Neck,  being  bound  on 
the  west -side  by  Oake  Neck  Brook  to  an  Indian 
foot  path"  (Munsell's  Hist.  S.    C.).    Fletcher's 
patent  to  Thos.  and  Richard  Willets,  Oct.   10 


170  Indian  Place-Names 

1695,  says:  "two  certain  necks  of  land  and 
meadow — beginning  at  a  certain  pepperidge  tree 
standing  on  the  bank  of  Oak  Neck  creek"  (Mun- 
sell'sflw/.  S.  C.). 

269.  ORAWAC,  Orowoc:  a  brook  at  Islip, 
sometimes  called  the  "Paper  Mill  Brook."  First 
recorded  in  1692,  when  Gov.  Ingoldsby  granted  a 
patent  to  Andrew  Gibb:  "For  a  certain  tract 
of  vacant  land  on  Long  Island  commonly  called 
Wingatt  happah  Neck — bounded  on  the  west  by 
Orawack  River"  (Munsell's  Hist.  S.  C.,  Islip). 
Variations  are:  Orawacke,  1697;  Orawack,  1701; 
Osawack,  1708.  Modernly  Orawac,  Orowoc,  Dra- 
wee, and  on  some  maps,  Oriwic.  This  part  of 
Islip  town  was  the  last  settled.  The  land  covered 
by  timber  intersected  and  dotted  by  numerous 
streams  and  swamps,  it  naturally  remained  un- 
occupied for  a  long  period  after  the  settlement 
of  other  towns  on  Long  Island.  From  the  great 
scarcity  of  aboriginal  relics  and  evidences  of 
village  sites,  it  must  have  been  also  destitute  of 
Indian  habitations,  for  history  informs  us  that 
the  two  principal  villages  of  the  Indians  were 
located  at  Secatogue  Neck  on  the  west,  and  at 
Unkechaug  Neck  in  Brookhaven  town  on  the 
east,  thus  leaving  the  greater  part  of  the  present 
town  of  Islip  a  wilderness,  and  as  such  it  remains 
to-day.  The  brook  takes  its  name  from  the  land 
in  the  vicinity,  being  as  stated  in  Gibbs's  patent, 


On  Long'  Island  171 

"vacant  land."  Orawack  is  the  parallel  of  the 
Massachusetts  (Eliot)  touwa-auke,  "old  vacant, 
abandoned  land,"  "wild  land";  Delaware  tau- 
watawik,  "an  uninhabited  tract  "  (tauwatawique, 
"in  the  wilderness");  Micmac  (Rand)  taipkwaak, 
"wilderness."  Eliot  uses  touohkomuk  or  touwa- 
komuk  for  a  "wild-place,"  "a  wilderness,"  "a 
desert,"  "a  forsaken  place,"  "wood  country," 
"forest."  Orapakes,  Orapaks,  or  Orohpikes  in 
Virginia  is  of  the  same  derivation:  Touoh-pe- 
auke,  "a  wild  water-place,"  "wilderness  water- 
place,"  probably  a  swamp.  It  is  frequently 
mentioned  by  Capt.  John  Smith,  who  says: 
"About  25  miles  lower  on  the  North  side  of  this 
river  [Pamunkee]  is  Werawocomoco  where  their 
king  [Powhatan]  inhabited  when  Captain  Smith 
was  delivered  him  prisoner;  .  .  .  but  now  he 
hath  abandoned  that,  and  liveth  at  Orapakes  by 
Youghtanund  in  the  wilderness."  Again:  "But 
he  took  so  little  pleasure  in  our  neare  neighbor- 
hood, that  were  able  to  visit  him  against  his  will 
in  6  or  7  hours,  that  he  retired  himself  to  a  place  in 
the  deserts  at  the  top  of  the  river  Chickahamania 
betweene  Youghtanund  and  Powhatan.  His  habi- 
tation there  is  called  Orapakes  where  he  ordinarily 
now  resideth. "  And  again:  "he  retired  him- 
selfe  to  Orapakes  in  the  desert  betwixt  Chicka- 
hamania and  Youghtanund"  (Smith's  Works, 
Arber's  ed.,  pp.  51,  80,  375).  This  locality  is  an 
interesting  one  from  the  fact  of  its  being  the 


172  Indian  Place-Names 

scene  of  the  battles  of  the  Wilderness  during  the 
late  rebellion.  Grant,  in  his  Memoirs  (vol.  ii., 
p.  258)  says:  "The  country  we  were  now  in  was 
a  difficult  one  to  move  troops  over.  The  streams 
were  numerous,  deep,  and  sluggish,  sometimes 
spreading  out  into  swamps,  grown  up  with 
impenetrable  growths  of  trees  and  underbrush, 
the  banks  were  generally  low  and  marshy  making 
the  streams  difficult  to  approach  except  where 
there  were  roads  and  bridges." 

270.  ORIOCK:    on  Jan.    22,    1703,    Lancaster 
Symes,  et  aL,  petition  for  a  license  to  purchase  a 
tract  of  land  in  the  county  of  Suffolk,   at  the 
mouth  of  a  river    called  Oriock    (Cal.  of  Land 
Papers  in  Office  of  Sec'y  of  State,  p.  64).     See 
Orawac. 

271.  OSHAMAMUCKS  :  Fresh  Pond  on  the  bound- 
ary between   Huntington   and   Smithtown.     Re- 
corded in  1694:     "land  on  ye  west  side  of  ye  fresh 
pond,  commonly  known  by  ye  name  of  Oshama- 
mucks"  (H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  160).     See  Unshema- 
muck. 

272.  OUHEYWICHKINGH  :  an  Indian  village  on 
Long  Island,  taken  under  the  protection  of  four 
principal  tribes  as  stated  in  a  treaty  of   1645. 
"Ouweehacky,  locality  unknown  on  L.  I.  Sound," 
according  to  De  Kay.     Allowing  for  the  variations 


On  Long  Island  173 

which  the  other  Indian  names  in  this  treaty  pre- 
sent, and  the  sound  of  the  word  in  being  spoken, 
this  village  must  have  been  the  one  located  on 
Mastic  Neck,  Brookhaven,  and  known  to  the 
English  as  Unkechaug.  The  termination  in  Dutch 
notation,  -wichMngh  corresponds  to  the  Delaware 
wick-ink,  "place  of  the  houses,"  "a  village." 
We  thus  have  Unke-wik-ink,  "village  on  the 
other  side  (of  a  hill),"  and  Ouwee-hacky, 
"country  beyond,"  both  forms  being  variations 
of  the  idea  in  Unkechaug,  "land  beyond  the  hill." 
See  Mochgonnekonck,  Unkechaug. 

273.  OWENAMCHOCK:  "The  eastward  bounds 
of  Tobacus'  land  sold  to  Setauk"  (Memorandum 
on  file,  B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  33,  1668-9).     Possibly 
a  variation  of  Occombamack  or  Accombamack,  as 
this  was  the  eastward  bounds  of  the  land  sold  by 
Tobacus  to  Gov.  Winthrop  in  1666    (B.  H.  R., 
vol.  i.,  p.  23).     The  name  Owenamchock  =  Ongk- 
nameech-auke,  "beyond  the  fishing  place."     The 
components   of  the  word   would  be  ongk-,  "be- 
yond"; nameech,  "fish";  =  auke,  "place." 

274.  PAGGANCK:    Governor's    Island,    N.    Y. 
Harbor.     The    Indian    deed    of   June    16,    1637, 
says:     " Cacapeteyno   and   Pewihas   as    owners — 
acknowledge,    that   they  have  transferred,  cede 
and  convey  to  and  for  the  behoof  of  Wouter  Van 
Twiller,    Director   General   of   New   Netherland, 


174  Indian  Place-Names 

the  nut  Island,  in  the  Indian  tongue  called  Pag- 
ganck,  situate  opposite  the  Island  of  the  Mana- 
hates  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  14).  Also 
"Nutten  Island,"  and  by  the  Indians  "Pag- 
ganch"  (French's  Gazetteer  of  N.  Y.,  1860). 
Governor's  Island  bore  the  name  of  "Nut  Island" 
during  the  Holland  supremacy  (nut  is  in  Dutch 
nutteri)  but  whether,  as  it  is  suspected,  this  was  a 
translation  of  the  Indian  Pecanuc,  or  "nut  trees," 
is  not  certain.  My  search  seems  to  make  it  so, 
for  Pagganck  is  no  doubt  the  parallel  of 
the  Delaware  pachgammak,  "black  walnut" 
(pachganunschi,  "white  walnut  trees ");  Chippewa 
(Baraga)  paganak,  "nut,"  "walnut,"  "hazel 
nut. "  The  common  hickory-nut  was  called  paean, 
a  general  name  for  all  hard-shell  nuts,  meaning 
"that  which  is  cracked  with  an  instrument "- 
by  a  stone,  or  hammer.  Strachey's  Virginian 
vocabulary  has  paukauns  for  "walnuts."  At 
the  west  and  north  this  name  (as,  e.  g.,  pacanes 
and  modern  pekan  and  pekan-imi)  has  been  ap- 
propriated to  a  single  species,  the  fruit  of  the 
Carya  olivceformis  (Trumbull's  Words  derived  from 
N.  A .  Indian  Languages) . 

275.  PAHEHETOCK:  a  locality  on  the  eastern 
end  of  Long  Island.  Probably  the  Dutch  nota- 
tion for  Peconic  or  Pehikkomuk,  the  small  pali- 
sadoed  village  of  the  Indians  at  Ucquebauge. 
Mentioned  in  a  declaration  concerning  trade  with 


On  Long  Island  175 

the  Indians  on  Long  Island,  when  two  Dutchmen 
testify  before  the  Secretary  of  New  Netherland: 
"That  it  is  true  and  truthful  that  they  have  been 
in  the  months  of  October,  November,  etc.  A° — 
1647,  with  Govert  Loockmans  and  his  bark  along 
the  north  coast  from  New  Netherland  to  Pahehe- 
tock,  Crommegou  and  New  Haven,  during  which 
voyage  they  neither  saw,  nor  heard,  nor  ever 
knew  that  Govert  Loockmans  himself,  or  any 
of  his  crew  had  directly  or  indirectly  traded  or 
bartered  with  or  to  the  Indians,  there  or  elsewhere 
any  powder,  lead  or  guns,  except  that  he,  Loock- 
mans made  a  present  of  about  a  pound  of  powder 
to  the  Chief  Rochbon  in  the  Crommegou  and  pur- 
chased two  geese  in  the  Crommegou  and  half  a 
deer  at  Pahetoc  with  powder;  without  having 
given  to,  or  exchanged  with  the  Indians  anything 
else  to  our  knowledge  (Col.  Hist.  N.  F.,  vol.  xiv., 
p.  94).  Crommegouw  was  the  name  given  to 
Gardiner's  Bay  by  the  Dutch  and  signifies 
"crooked  coast  or  district."  See  Peconic. 

276.  PAHQUAHKOSSIT  :  Wading  River,  River- 
head  town.     So  recorded  in  1687  (S.  R.,  vol.  i., 
p.  344).     See  Pauquacumsuck. 

277.  PAMUNKE:  see  Paumanack. 

277  a.     PANOTHTICUTT  :  see  Penataquit. 


176  Indian  Place-Names 

278.  PANTIGO:  a  locality  between  East  Hamp- 
ton village  and  Amagansett.     Recorded  as  early 
as  1669,  when  William  Edwards  gives  his  daughter 
Sarah:    "that    Lott    that    Lyeth    at    pantego." 
Again  in  1680:    "upland  lying  at  the  place  com- 
monly called  pantigo"  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.    i.,  p.  320; 
vol.    ii.,    p.    89).     The   early   settlers   frequently 
gave  names  to  localities  from  some  local  happen- 
ing.    Among  such  names  we  find  ' '  Hard  Scrabble, 
"Toilsome,"    "Scuttle   Hole,"    " Whippoorwill, " 
etc.     Pantigo,  supposed  to  be  aboriginal,  evidently 
belongs  to  the  same  class,  and  is  probably  the 
English    "pant-I-go."       In  this  derivation  Hon. 
Henry  P.  Hedges,  the  East  Hampton  historian, 
concurs. 

279.  PAPEQUATUNCK :  "locality  on  the  south- 
east bounds    of    Oyster   Bay   town   (De   Kay). 
But  according  to  the  following  it  is  on  the  west 
side.     Found  in  the  first  Indian  deed  of  1653,  viz. : 
"All    the    land    lying    and  situate  upon  Oyster 
Bay,  and  bounded  by  Oyster  Bay  River  to  the 
east   side,   and  Papequtunck  on  the  west  side" 
(Thompson,  vol.  i.,  p.  485).     This  was  a  tract 
of  land  cleared  by  the  Indians  for  their  planting 
ground.      Papequatun,  or  papequtun  corresponds 
to  the  Massachusetts  pohquetaham  (Eliot),  "bro- 
ken"; the  terminal  is  -auke,  "land."     Trumbull 
writes     the     word     Pauquettahun-atike,      "land 
opened,"  or  "broken  up,"  i.  e.,  after  it  had  been 


On  Long'  Island  177 

once  planted  or  dug  over.  Cuttyhunk  in  Massa- 
chusetts is  a  corruption  from  the  same  and  we 
find  also  the  Pequot  Paucatun'nuc  (Stiles),  1761. 

280.  PAQUATUCK:  creek  on  the  line  between 
East  and   Centre   Moriches,   Brookhaven  town, 
now  known  as   Terrell's   River.     Fletcher's   Pa- 
tent, 1697,  gives:  "On  the  west  by  a  river  on  the 
west  side  of  Mariche's  Neck,  called  Paquatuck." 
Variations  are  Pacotuck,   1697;  Poquatuck,   1703. 
Modernly  Pautuck.     The  name  Paquatuck  =  pau- 
gua-tuck,  "a  clear  (or  open)  creek,"  from  paqua, 
"open,"  "clear";  -tuck,  "tidal  river,"   "creek." 

281.  PAQUINAPAGOGUE  :    mentioned    in     De 
Kay's  Indian  Names  of  L.  /.,  as  being  a  tract  of 
land   in   Smithtown   with   the   query    "where?" 
De  Kay  probably  obtained  it  from  Thompson 
(vol.   i.,   p.   456),   who,    supposing    the    Richard 
Smith  of  Rhode  Island  to  be  the  same  Richard 
Smith  of  Smithtown,  erroneously  quotes  a  Rhode 
Island  Indian  deed.     Parsons  (Indian  Names  of 
R.  /.)  quotes  it  as  Poppaquinnapaug,  now  Fen- 
ner's    Pond,    near    Pawtuxet.       The    name    is 
probably  Paqwa-quinna-paug,  "the  shallow  long 
pond";    from  pagwa  (  =  Massachusetts  pongqui), 
' '  shallow  ' ' ;     quinna     ( =  Massachusetts    qunni) , 
"long";  -paug,   "pond." 

282.  PASCU-UCKS:    a   creek   in    the   town   of 
Babylon.     Indian  deed  of  1689  from  island  in  the 


178  Indian  Place-Names 

Great  South  Bay:  "bounded  on  the  east  by  a 
certaine  creek  which  is  called  by  us  Pascu-ucks, 
all  the  meadow  lying  westward  of  Pascu-ucks  of 
the  said  Island  Screcunkas"  (H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  48). 
This  name  probably  pachau-auke,  "turning  place," 
or  "where  they  divide"  (the  "dividing-place"  of 
the  said  Island),  from  pdchau  (  =  Massachusetts 
poksheau),  "it  divides  itself";  -auke,  "land," 
"place."  See  Patchogue. 

283.  PASSASQUEUNG :  a  creek  in  South  Oyster 
Bay,  Queen's  Co.  It  is  probably  the  same  river 
or  creek  called  Arrasquaug,  and  mentioned  as 
being  the  western  boundary  of  the  town  in  Andros 
Patent  of  1677,  and  now  called  "Hindi's  Creek." 
In  a  remonstrance  by  the  inhabitants  of  Oyster 
Bay  to  the  people  of  Huntington  in  1663,  we  find: 
"Then  we  do  by  this  request  you  to  forbear  mow- 
ing our  meadow  which  being  at  the  river  Passas- 
queung"  (Munsell's  Hist.  Queen's  Co.}.  In  the 
Brooklyn  Eagle  Almanac  for  1890,  I  gave  the 
signification  as  "land  that  rises  or  stands  up," 
the  chief  component  corresponding  to  the  Dela- 
ware pachsucquin;  Narragansett  pastickquish, 
"to  rise."  On  inquiry,  I  find  that  the  land  in 
this  section  is  mostly  level  and  that  this  could 
not  be  a  descriptive  term  for  that  locality,  the 
same  being  mostly  meadow  land.  It  is  no  doubt 
the  equivalent  of  the  Massachusetts  (Eliot)  pis- 
seaquane,  "mire";  pissaquanit,  "in  the  mire" 


On  L,on§£  Island  179 

(Job  viii.,  ii ;  Ps.  xl.,  2),  with  the  suffix  -ung  or 
-aug,  "land."  We  have,  therefore,  Passasquauke, 
"miry  land."  See  Arrasquaug  and  Assasquage. 

284.  PASSQUESSIT:  "the  east  end  of  Fisher's 
Island,  Southold  town"  (President  Stiles's  Itiner- 
ary,  1761;  Trumbull's  Indian  Names  in  Conn.}. 
Trumbull  gives  no  signification.     The  east  end  of 
the   Island  is  quite  high  with  hills  and  bluffs, 
so  I  would  suggest  that  it  is  the  equivalent  of  the 
Narragansett  pasuckquish  (R.  Williams),  Delaware 
pachsucquin,  "to  rise,"  "to  stand  up,"  with  the 
diminutive   locative  suffix, — es-et;   Passuqu-es-et, 
"at  the  place  where  it  rises  or  stands  up." 

285.  PATCHOGUE:  a  village  in  the  western  part 
of  Brookhaven  town.     Pochoug  Neck  containing 
some  three  hundred  acres  was  number  three,  in 
the  seven  necks  of  land  disposed  of  in  Avery's 
lottery  in  1758.     The  name  by  some  of  the  Long 
Island  historians  is  said   to  have  been  derived 
from  a  so-called  Pochaug  tribe  of  Indians.     That 
an  individual  Indian  has  a  similar  cognomen  and 
lived  in  Brookhaven  town  is  proven  by  a  deed  of 
1703,  where  Paushag  signs  as  one  of  the  grantors. 
The  popular  meaning,  among  the  residents  of  the 
village  is,  "a  place  of  many  streams,"  but  the 
etymology  of  the  word  will  not  allow  this  inter- 
pretation.    Variations  are  Pochoug,  1758;  Pochog, 
1759;  Patchague,  1825.    Similar  names  of  places 


i8o  Indian  Place-Names 

occur  in  New  England  viz.:  Pachaug  River  in 
Voluntown  and  Griswold,  Conn.;  Pachaug  Neck 
on  Taunton  River,  Mass.  Westbrook,  Conn., 
was  called  Pochaug  (on  some  maps  Patchogue). 
Trumbull  gives:  Pachaug  =  pdchau-auke,  denoting 
a  "turning-place",  whence  perhaps  the  river's 
name;  and  says:  " Patchogue  in  Brookhaven,  L.  I., 
is  probably  the  same  name."  But  Pochaug  in 
Westbrook,  he  derives  from  pohshdog  (Eliot), 
"where  they  divide  in  two,"  from  the  fact  that 
two  rivers  came  together  there  and  were  regarded 
by  the  Indians  as  one  divided  river  (Indian 
Names  in  Connecticut}. 

286.  PATCHUMMUCK:  a  locality  mentioned  as 
one  of  the  bounds  of  Hashamomuk  Neck,  at  the 
head  of  Tom's  Creek,  Southold,  1660,  viz.:  "and 
so  to  the  North  sea  at  the  head  of  the  said  creeke 
called  in  Indian  Patchummuck,  so  along  to  the 
North    east    to    a    place    called    Minnapaugs" 
(S.   R.,  vol.  i.,  p.   208).     The  name  appears  as 
Pashimamsk    in    Salmon's    Certificate    of    1645, 
recorded  in  1750   (S.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  276).     The 
word  Patchummuck  =  Pdchau-omuk,  "turning  aside 
place,"  "place  where  it  turns  aside,"  because  at 
this  point  (the  head  of  Tom's  Creek)  the  bounds 
"turn  aside"  to  the  northeast.     See  Patchogue. 

287.  PATTERSQUASH  :  a  small  island  opposite  a 
creek  of  the  same  name  at  Mastic  Neck,  Brook- 


On  Long  Island  181 

haven  town.  It  appears  first  in  1670,  viz.: 
"a  tract  of  land  running  from  the  head  of  Pater  - 
squas — which  is  to  be  understood,  all  the  land  and 
meadows  comonly  called  patter squas"  (B.  H.  R., 
vol.  i.,  p.  27).  Variants  are  Patterquash,  1790; 
Patter  quos,  Paterquas,  Pattersquash  (various  maps) . 
This  is  another  instance  where  the  early  form 
seems  more  like  a  personal  name  ("comonly  called 
Patter  squa's  land  and  meadow").  An  Indian 
lived  on  Mastic  at  this  period  called  Paterquam. 
His  name  is  on  Smith's  deed  to  Indians  in  1700. 
Trumbull  says,  of  a  similar  name  in  Connecticut : 
"It  might  be  from  petuquis,  'round';  -as  or  -es, 
diminutive;  petuqu-as  'a  small  round  place,'  'hill/ 
'wigwam,'  or  'sweat  house.'  '  See  Poosepatuck. 

288.  PAUCACKATUN  :    This  form  is  found  on  a 
contemporaneous    copy    of    the    original    Indian 
deed  of  1648,  made  by  Richard  Terry,  formerly 
in  the  library  of  the  late  John  Carson  Brevoort. 
See  Paucuckatux. 

289.  PAUCHOGUE  :  a  creek  in  the  town  of  Islip. 
See  Patchogue. 

290.  PAUCUCKATUX:  a  creek  on  the  bounds  of 
Hashamomuk  Neck,  Southold  town,  probably  the 
one  known  as  Tom's  Creek.     First  mentioned  in 
the  Indian  deed  of  May  6,  1648,  viz.:     " Mama- 
wetough  Sachem   of   Curchage,   conveys  to   Gov. 


182  Indian  Place-Names 

Eaton,  Stephen  Goodyear  and  another  of  New 
Haven,  for  six  coates,  a  tract  of  land  beginning 
at  a  creeke  called  and  knowne  by  the  name  of 
Paucuckatux,  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  land 
in  the  occupacon  of  William  Solmon,  extending 
itself  eastward  towards  Plum  Isle,  the  breadth 
thereof  also,  to  the  North  and  South  sea,  and  also 
Plum  Isle  aforesaid"  (Book  of  Deeds,  vol.  ii., 
Office  Sec'y  of  State,  Albany,  N.  Y.).  An  Indian 
deed  of  1660  has:  "and  from  thence  southward  to 
a  creek  called  Paucuckatux."  Again  in  1661: 
"to  a  certain  creek  the  Indians  call  Paugetuck 
on  the  southside"  (S.  R.,  vol.  i.,  pp.  208,  210). 
The  name  Paucuckatux  is  derived  from  paucucka 
(  =  Massachusetts  pohqueta],  "divided";  -tuck, 
"a  creek,"  "tidal  river,"  "cove,"  "estuary." 
See  Payaquotusk. 

291.  PAUGETUCK:  see.  Paucuckatux. 

292.  PAUMANACK,    Pommanock:    a    name    of 
Eastern  Long  Island,  governed  by  the  Sachems  of 
Shelter  Island  and  Montauk.     The  first  mention 
of  the  name  that  I  have  been  able  to  find  is  in  the 
Indian  deed  for  Gardiner's  Island,  May  3,  1639: 
"  Yovawan,   Sachem    of  Pommanocc  and  Aswaw 
Sachem  his  wife,"   etc.    (Lechford's   Note  Book, 
pp.  129,  June  27,   1638   to  July  29,  1641).     The 
title  "Sachem  of  Pommanock  or  Paumanack"  was 
used  only  by  the  Sachem  of  Montauk.     The  four 


On  Long  Island  183 

Sachems  of  the  district  covered  by  this  title  were 
brothers,  consequently  were  united  into  one  band 
for  mutual  protection  and  interest.  In  the  various 
deeds  given  by  the  two  Sachems  the  following 
variations  occur:  Pommanocc,  1639;  Pamunke, 
1648;  Pammanach,  1656;  Pawmanuck,  1658;  Pam- 
manake,  1658;  Paumanuck,  1659;  Paumanacke, 
1659;  Pamanack,  1659;  Pommanock,  1665.  Some 
authorities  have  also  Paumanacke  and  Pauman- 
hacky.  The  meaning  suggested  in  the  Brooklyn 
Eagle  Almanac  for  1889:  "land  where  there  is 
travelling  by  water  (cf.  the  Delaware  pomma'- 
hum,  "to  travel  by  water,"  etc.)  seemed  to  be 
right  as  applied  to  the  cove-indented  shores  of 
this  part  of  Long  Island,  but  later  investigation 
compelled  me  to  reject  it  for  the  one  given  in  the 
same  Almanac  for  1890,  viz.:  "land  of  tribute." 
Here  pauman  or  pomman  =  Narragansett,  pum- 
munun,  "he  offers"  or  "devotes";  pummen'um, 
"contributes"  (from  this  comes  pumpom,  "a 
tribute  of  bear's  skin").  Eliot  has  up-paupau- 
men-uk  (Numbers,  viii.,  21),  "he  habitually  or  by 
custom  offers  it."  Thus  we  have  Pauman-auke, 
"land  of  tribute. "  That  this  part  of  Long  Island 
was  under  tribute  at  this  period  and  previous 
both  to  the  Pequots  and  to  the  whites,  is  abun- 
dantly proven  by  all  the  older  writers,  such  as 
Gookin,  Winthrop,  and  others.  "At  a  meeting 
of  the  Commissioners  of  the  United  Colonies  of 
N.  E.  at  Hartford,  Sept.  6,  1644,  Youghcoe,  the 


184  Indian  Place-Names 

Sachem  of  Manhansett  on  Long  Island,  presented 
himself  to  the  court,  desiring  that,  in  regard  he 
was  tributary  to  the  English  and  had  hitherto 
observed  the  articles  of  agreement  heretofore 
made  (1637),  he  might  receive  from  them  a  cer- 
tificate, etc.,  whereby  his  relation  to  the  English 
should  appear  and  he  be  preserved  as  much  as 
might  be  from  unjust  grievances  and  vexations." 
Therefore  they  gave  the  following  certificate:— 
"and  whereas  the  Indians  in  the  eastern  part  of 
Long  Island  are  become  tributaries  to  the  English 
and  have  engaged  their  lands  to  them ;  and  whereas 
Youghco,  Wiantance,  Moughmaitow,  and  Weenaka- 
min  do  profess  themselves  friends  to  the  English 
and  Dutch — It  is  our  desire  that  the  said  Saga- 
more and  their  companions  may  enjoy  full  peace" 
(Plymouth  Col.  Records,  vol.  ix.,  p.  18; Thompson, 
vol.  i.,  p.  365).  See  the  discussion  of  Paumanack 
in  the  Algonquian  Series,  vol.  iv.,  pp.  21-38. 

293.  PAUQUACUMSUCK  :  a  creek  now  called 
the  "Wading  River"  at  the  post  office  of  the 
same  name,  Riverhead  town.  It  is  mentioned 
in  all  the  early  deeds  relating  to  the  tract  of  land 
called  "Occabuck, "  being  its  western  boundary. 
The  deed  of  1648  being  an  exception.  Variations 
are: Pequaockeon,  i66o;Quaconsuck,  i66o;Pauqua- 
consut,  1665;  Pauquaconsuck,  1666;  Paquaconsit, 
i67g;Pauquacumsok,  1686;  Pauquacumsuck,  1685; 
Paquahkossit,  1687  (S.  H.,  vol.  i.,  2).  In  the 


On  Long  Island  185 

testimony  of  Paucamp,  an  old  Indian,  aged  80, 
taken  down  by  Wm.  Wells  in  1660,  with  the  aid 
of  an  interpreter,  in  the  presence  of  many  English 
and  Indians,  we  find:  "and  further  says  that  the 
bounds  of  Occabauk  aforesaid  go  on  a  straight 
line  from  the  head  of  ye  River  (Peconic)  to  the 
wading  creek  on  ye  North  Beach  (at  the  sound) 
which  is  called  Pequaockeon  because  Pequaocks  are 
found  there"  (Book  of  Deeds,  vol.  ii.,  p.  213, 
Office  of  Sec'y  of  State,  Albany,  N.  Y.).  The 
components  of  Pauquacumsuck  are:  Pequaock  = 
poquahoc  (Unkechaug) ,  poquauhock  (Narragan- 
sett),  p'quaughhaug  (Pequot),  pek®ahat  (Ab- 
naki),  quohaug  (Montauk),  signifying  either  "thick 
shell"  or  "tightly  closed  shell"  (Trumbull);  the 
name  of  the  round  clam  or  quohaug  (Venus 
mercenaria  L.)  found  in  great  abundance  on  Long 
Island;  keon  represents  the  Massachusetts  t®s- 
keon  (Eliot),  "to  wade";  -suck,  "outlet."  Po- 
quahoc-keon-suck  thus  signifies  "the  brook  or 
outlet  where  we  wade  for  clams, "  "a  clam  wading 
brook."  The  late  Dr.  E.  B.  O'Callaghan  sug- 
gests that  the  English  name  is  derived  from 
wading  after  the  clam,  whilst  the  aboriginal 
means  the  locality  of  the  fish;  in  short,  clam 
river  (Amer.  Hist.  Mag.,  1858,  vol.  ii.,  No.  5, 
p.  149). 

294    PAUTUCK:  creek  at  Moriches,  L.  I.     See 
Poquatuck. 


1 86  Indian  Place-Names 

295.  PAWCUCK:  a  neck  of  land  in  Westhamp- 
ton,  L.  I.     See  Apocuck. 

296.  PAYAQUOTUSK:  a  neck  mentioned  in  the 
certificate  to   Wm.   Salmon,   as  being   northeast 
of  his  house  on  Hashamomuk  Neck,  Southold  town, 
1645,  viz.:  "to  the  neck  north  east  of  my  house 
which  neck  is  called  Payaquotusk"  (S.  R.,  vol.  ii., 
p.  276).     The  neck  is  now  called  "Pipe's  Neck." 
It  takes  its  name  from  the  estuary  on  its  southern 
extremity  which  divides  into  two  branches.     See 
Paucuckatux. 

297.  PEACEPUNCK:  west  branch  of  the  Nise- 
quogue  River,  Smithtown.     It  is  so  named  in  a 
partition   division   among   the   heirs   of   Richard 
Smith,  May  14,  1736,  "then  layd  out  a  Certain 
tract  of  Land  on  the  right  of  Deborah  Lawrence 
Containing  five  hundred  acres  lying  on  the  west 
side  of  Smithtown  river  att  a  place  where  the  Mills 
now  stands  bounded  as  foloweth  begining  att  the 
said  river  att  a  certain  branch  of  the  said  river 
lying  southward  of  the  said  Mills  called  the  peace- 
punck  branch,  etc."     (Copy  from  O.  B.  Ackerly, 
Esq.)     See  Pesapunck. 

298.  PECONIC:   the  river  that   separates  the 
towns  of  Southampton  and  Riverhead,  the  Peconic 
Bay,  and  a  village  in  Southold  town  now  perpetu- 
ate the  name.     By  a  deed,  dated  June  12,  1639, 


On  Long  Island  187 

(really  June  12,  1649)  James  Farrett  conveyed 
to  Edward  Howell  and  associates,  the  first  settlers 
at  Southampton:  "All  those  lands  lying  and 
being  bounded  between  Peaconeck  and  the  easter- 
most  Point  of  Long  Island,  with  the  whole  breadth 
from  sea  to  sea"  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol.  iii.,  pp. 
21,  22).  In  the  Indian  deed  to  John  Ogden,  May 
12,  1659,  the  bounds  are  given:  "Northward  to 
the  waters  of  the  bay  and  to  the  creek  of  Acco- 
baucke,  westward  to  the  place  called  Pehecon- 
nacke"  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  156).  Variations 
are:  Pehaconnuck,  1667;  Pehik-konuk,  1667;  Pehic- 
koneck,  1667;  Peaconnock,  1679;  Peheconnuck, 
1688;  Pehoconneck,  1689;  Peaconnet,  1690;  mod- 
ernly,  Peconic.  In  the  Brooklyn  Eagle  Almanac 
for  1888,  Ifgave  the  meaning  as  "water  at  point  of 
land. "  This  was  furnished  me  by  Prof.  E.  N.*Hors- 
fordof  Cambridge,  who  derived  it  frompe-, '  'water' ' ; 
-igan,  "a  point";  -ak,  "land."  I  am  satisfied 
that  this  is  an  error,  ignoring  the  long  and  more 
ancient  form  of  the  name.  Besides  pe=  "water, " 
is  an  inseparable  generic  used  only  at  the  end 
of  compound  words  and  inadmissible  as  a  prefix, 
being  equivalent  as  such  to  nippe  or  neape,  as  in 
Neapeage,  Napock.  It  has  been  suggested  that 
the  name  might  be  derived  from  pecanuc,  "nut 
trees,"  or  was  one  of  the  forms  of  poquannock, 
"cleared  land."  Pelletreau's  paper  on  Long 
Island  Indian  Names  derives  it  from  the  Nar- 
ragansett  paquanau  auke,  "a  battle  field,"  "a 


188  Indian  Place-Names 

slaughter-place."  This,  no  doubt,  is  also  incor- 
rect. Peconic  or  pehik-konuk  was  a  locality 
limited  in  extent,  a  village  of  the  Indians  (Col. 
Hist.,  N.  F.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  600).  Paucamp,  an  old 
Indian,  said  in  1667:  "that  the  place  had  been  an 
ancient  seat  of  sachemship  time  out  of  mind" 
(S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  2).  Another  testified: 
"that  there  had  been  a  small  plantation  of  Indi- 
ans there,  but  they  being  few  were  driven  off" 
(E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  260).  The  exact  spot  to 
which  the  name  belonged  is  certainly  difficult 
to  locate.  I  have  suggested  it  may  have  been 
"Indian  Island"  or  the  village  site  discovered 
at  Aquebouge  in  1879,  but  Ogden's  bounds  went 
westward  of  that  place  to  Peheconnacke.  How- 
ever, the  Indian  name  is  the  parallel  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts (Cotton)  peuk-komuk,  or  peakomuk, 
"little  house,"  from  pedsik,  "small,"  "little," 
and  komuk  or  komik,  "a  place  inclosed,"  "a 
field,"  "a  house,"  etc.  Cotton  uses  both  forms 
peuk  komuk  and  peakomuk,  as  does  Ogden  in  his 
release  to  Southampton,  1667  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  i., 
p.  163).  Eliot  uses  komuk  for  "field, "  "place," 
"house,"  "temple,"  etc.  (also  plural  for  "fields"). 
Therefore  Peconic  might  be  translated  as  a  "small 
plantation"  as  stated  in  James's  testimony  in  1657. 

299.  PEHIK-KONUK:  see  Peconic. 

300.  PENATAQUIT:    a    former    name    of    Bay 


On  Long'  Island  189 

Shore,  Islip  town,  taken  from  the  creek  at  that 
place.  In  the  Indian  deed  for  Aweeksa  Neck  to 
John  Mowbray,  May  30,  1701,  the  bounds  were: 
"Northward  from  the  heads  of  Cagaqunk  and 
Penataquitt  Rivers  to  the  bounds  between  the 
North  and  South  Indians."  Thompson  gives 
the  name  to  the  neck.  The  name  appears  also 
as  Penettiquott,  1720;  later  Panoihticutt.  Our 
Penatuckqut  is  susceptible  of  two  significations. 
It  may  be  derived  from  pena  (Narragansett  penayi) , 
' ' crooked ' ' ;  -tukq,  ' ' a  tidal  river,  "  "a  creek ' ' ; 
-ut,  " at " ;  =  Pena-tukq-ut,  "at  the  crooked  creek " ; 
or  Pena-tugk-qut,  "at  the  crooked  tree."  The 
early  forms  favor  the  latter  and  the  "crooked 
tree"  may  have  served  as  a  bound-mark,  as  did 
the  maple  tree  at  the  head  of  the  other  river.  See 
Cagoqunk. 

301.  PEQUANET:  A  neck  of  land  at  Orient, 
L.    I.     Mentioned   in   a   letter   of   John   Tuthill 
dated  1.8.  1660  as  the   "Pequanet  further  neck." 
Probably  a  variant  of  Poquatuck  (q.  v.). 

302.  PEQUASH:  a  neck  of  land  at  Cutchogue, 
Southold  town,  now  known  as  Goldsmith's  Neck. 
One  of  the   "first  necks  in  Corchaug  bounds." 
The  name  is  found  on  record  as  early  as  1658, 
viz.:  "old  bounds  of   Southold  that  is  to  saye, 
from    Tom's    creek    east     to     Puckquashinecke 
west"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  no).     Variations  are 


Indian  Place-Names 

Puckquash,  1661;  Pequash,  1662;  Poquash,  1669. 
The  word  is  sometimes  abbreviated  to  "Quasha." 
It  signifies  "open  land,"  from  a  word  correspond- 
ing to  the  Massachusetts  polnquashinne  (Eliot), 
which,  as  descriptive  of  a  tract  of  land  or  field, 
means  "open  level  ground. "  According  to  Trum- 
bull,  "the  Indian  planting  lands  were  either 
pauque-auke,  land  naturally  'clear/  'open,'  or 
pauq'uun-auke,  'land  made  clear,'  'a  clearing'; 
after  it  had  been  once  planted  or  dug  over,  it 
was  called  pauquettahun-auke,  'land  opened,'  or 
'broken  up'.  " 

303 .  PESAPUNCK  :  a  neck  of  land  at  Cutchogue , 
Southold  town.  "This  large  neck  of  land,  always 
considered  one  of  the  choice  farms  of  the  town, 
lies  midway  between  Corchaug  and  Mattituck, 
having  for  its  western  boundary  from  the  'Manor 
Hill'  for  a  distance  of  half  a  mile  or  more  the  main 
road;  and  the  waters  of  Peconic  Bay,  and  the 
creek  between  Fort  Neck  and  Reeves'  Neck 
forming  its  other  boundaries.  The  neck  is 
owned  by  John  Wells,  the  7th  in  line  of  descent 
from  Wm.  Wells,  the  first  settler  at  Southold" 
(J.  W.  C.,  Note,  S.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  272).  First 
recorded  in  1654,  viz.:  "The  meadow  of  Master 
John  Booth  commonly  called  the  Pissapunke 
meadow";  again,  1658:  "a  peice  of  meadow  at 
the  Pissapunck — half  of  which  is  Mastr  boothes" 
(S.  R.).  Variations  are:  Pessepunk,  1676;  Peso,- 


On  Long  Island  191 

punck,  1677;  Pisapunke,  1679;  Pieceapunck,  1686. 
It  is  the  same  as  the  Narragansett  Pesuponck, 
"hot  house,"  one  probably  being  located  in  the 
neck  opposite  the  palisadoed  village  of  the  Indians 
at  "Fort  Neck"  mentioned  above.  The  "hot 
house"  is  thus  described  by  Roger  Williams: 
"This  Hot-house  is  a  kind  of  a  little  cell  or  cave 
six  or  eight  foot  over,  round,  made  on  the  side  of 
a  hill  (commonly  by  some  Rivulet  or  Brooke); 
into  this  frequently  the  men  enter  after  they  have 
exceedingly  heated  it  with  store  of  wood,  laid  upon 
an  heape  of  stones  in  the  middle ;  when  they  have 
taken  out  the  fire,  the  stones  still  keepe  a  great 
heate;  Ten,  twelve,  twenty  more  or  less  enter  at 
once  starke  naked,  leaving  their  Coats,  small 
breeches  (or  aprons),  at  the  doore,  with  one  to 
keep  all;  here  they  sit  round  these  hot  stones  an 
houre  or  more,  taking  tobaco,  discoursing  and 
sweating  together,  which  sweating  they  use 
for  two  ends :  First  to  dense  their  skin,  secondly  to 
purge  their  bodies,  which  doubtlesse  is  a  great 
means  of  preserving  them  and  recovering  them 
from  diseases — when  they  come  forth  (which  is 
a  matter  of  admiration)  I  have  seen  them  runne 
(summer  and  winter)  into  Brookes  to  coole  them 
without  the  least  hurt"  (Key  to  the  Language 
in  America,  1643). 

304.     POCHOUG:    neck    in    Brookhaven    town. 
This    name    corresponds    to    the    Massachusetts 


192  Indian  Place-Names 

Pohshdog  (Eliot),  "where  they  divide  in  two," 
"turn  aside,"  "turning  place,"  etc.  See  Pa- 
tchogue. 

305.  POMICHES:   a   creek   at   East   Moriches, 
Brookhaven  town.     "In   1677,  the  Indian  John 
Mahew  sold  a  neck  called   Watchauge,  bounded 
on  the  east  by  a  small  brook  called  Mattuck,  and 
on  the  west  by  a  creek  called  Pomiches,  the  head 
of  which,  once  a  marsh  is  now  a  valley  which 
crosses   the  main  village   street,   Munsell's  Hist. 
S.  C.  (Brookhaven,  p.  28).  Some  early  deeds  give 
Pameeches,     or     Pamachees     Pond;     Permichees 
Swamp,    1773.      This  word  seems  to  denote   "a 
crossing,"  or  something  that  comes  from  "aside," 
"athwart    a    path"     (cf.    Massachusetts     pum- 
meche,    "crossing";    Delaware    pemitschi,    "from 
the  side, "  or  "athwart";  pemitschecheu,  "a  cross- 
way").     The  creek  probably  crossed  the  Indian 
path,   or   else  it  may  be  named  from  the   fact 
that  the  path  crossed  the  creek.     The  swamp  was 
located  at  the  head  of  the  creek. 

306.  POMMANOCC:  see  Paumanack. 

307.  PONQUOGUE:  a  neck  of  land  on  Shinne- 
cock  Bay,  Southampton  town.     Ponquogue  light- 
house is  located  on  this  neck.     The  locality  is 
not  referred  to  in  the  records  of  the  town  until 
1738,   when  it    appears  as   follows:    "And   then 


On  Long  Island  193 

we  proceeded  to  Rampasture  in  Poganquogue 
and  laid  out  an  highway — from  the  head  of  the 
long  cove,  Running  directly  across  Poganquogue 
Neck"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  100).  Variants  are: 
Pauganquogue,  1742;  Pogenquake,  1743;  Paugan- 
2u°g,  1750;  Paugunquag,  1775;  Pagonquag,  1825; 
modernly  Ponquogue.  De  Kay  has  also  Bondy- 
quogue.  Dr.  John  G.  Shea  gave  W.  S.  Pelletreau 
as  its  meaning  "the  pond  at  the  place  where 
the  bay  bends,"  holding  that  it  was  derived  from 
an  original  Pauganquaquanantuck.  There  is  noth- 
ing in  the  etymology  of  the  word  to  warrant  this 
meaning,  nor  does  it  appear  to  have  been  derived 
from  quaquanantuck,  a  meadow  some  miles  to  the 
west.  Paug  =  pe-auke,  ' 'water-place,"  "pond,"  is 
an  inseparable  generic  and  used  only  at  the  end  of 
a  compound  word;  consequently  the  prefix  paug 
cannot  here  mean  a  "pond."  I  have  suggested 
its  derivation  from  pauqu'un-auke,  "cleared  land, " 
"land  made  clear"  (Brooklyn  Eagle  Almanac, 
1888,  1889,  1890).  This  I  now  believe  to  be  the 
true  derivation,  the  name  being  one  of  the  many 
forms  applied  by  the  Indians  to  "land  either 
clear  or  made  clear." 

308.  POOSEPATUCK  :  a  locality  on  the  north- 
east part  of  Mastic  Neck,  where  a  small  creek 
empties  into  Forge  River.  The  neck  is  now  the 
home  of  a  small  remnant  of  the  tribe  known  as  the 
Unkechaugs.  On  July  2,  1700,  Wm.  Smith 
13 


194  Indian  Place-Names 

gave  the  following  deed: — "Bee  it  knowe  to  all 
men  that  the  intent  sayd  Indien,  there  children 
and  posterryte  may  not  want  suffisient  land  to 
plant  on,  forever,  that  I  do  hereby  grant  for  mee, 
my  heires  and  assigns  forever  that  Wisquosuck 
Jose,  Wionconow,  Pataquam,  Stephen  Weramps, 
Penaws,  Tapshana,  Wepsha,  Tucome  and  Jacob, 
Indian  natives  of  Unquachock,  etc. — one  hundred 
akers  in  Mastic  Neck  fifty  acres  at  pospatou. 
ffifty  acres  at  Constbles  Neck,  and  ten  acres 
at  qualican"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  91).  Variants 
are:  Pusspa'tuck,  1794;  Pusspa'tok,  1794;  Poospa- 
tuc,  1845  ;Poospatuck,  1888.  In  the  Brooklyn  Eagle 
Almanac  for  1888,  1889,  I  gave  the  meaning  as 
"little  river  falls,"  or  where  "a  little  river  falls 
nto  tide  water."  A  better  etymology  would  be 
"union  of  two  rivers  and  a  fall  into  tide  water," 
or  where  "a  cove  or  creek  bursts  forth,  flows  out." 
The  prefix  poosepa-  or  pus  spa'-  is  the  equivalent 
of  the  Narragansett  paspisha,  "he  rises";  Massa- 
chusetts pashpishau  (Eliot),  "he  arises,"  "bursts 
forth,"  "blooms  (as  a  flower),"  etc.;  -tuk,  "tidal 
river  or  creek. "  Compare  Paspahegh  in  Virgin- 
ia: "the  mouth  of  this  river  [Chickahominy] 
falleth  into  the  great  river  [the  James]  at  Pas- 
pahegh, 8  miles  above  our  fort"  (John  Smith's 
True  Relation,  1608,  p.  n).  Also  Paspeshauks 
in  Connecticut:  "forte  called  Saybrook  als  Pash- 
peshauks  at  the  mouth  of  the  River  Kennecticut" 
(Gardiner's  Island  Deed,  1639);  Pashpesh-auk, 


On  Long  Island  195 

"land  at  the  bursting  forth,"  "uniting  of  the 
river  with  the  sound."  Similar  names  occur 
also  in  Rhode  Island. 

309.  POQUATUCK:  mentioned  by  the  various 
histories  of  Long  Island  as  being  the  Indian  name 
of   Orient   Point,   Southold   town.     It   does   not 
appear  on  the  town  records.     It  may  have  be- 
longed to  the  cove,  now  called  Long  Beach  Bay, 
being  an  open,  wide,  body  of  water.     The  name 
is  derived  from  poqua-,  "clear,"  "open";   -tuck, 
1 '  tidal  river, "  "  cove, "  or  "  creek. ' '     See  Paqua- 
tuck. 

310.  POQUOTT:  Dyer's  Neck,  between  Setauket 
and  Port  Jefferson,   Brookhaven  town.     It  is  tra- 
ditional and  is  not  found  in  the  records,   but  is 
mentioned  by  Thompson  and  others.     The  name 
denotes  "clear  land,"   "open  country";    pauqu1- 
auk-ut,   "at  the  land  naturally  clear  or  open." 
Peguawket   and    Pigwacket,    Fryeburg,    Me.,    are 
forms  of  the  same  name.     See  Pequash. 

311.  PORIGIES:  a  small  neck  of  land  at  Mastic, 
Brookhaven  town,  situated  on  the  west  side  of 
Snake  Neck  at   the   Woodhull   farm.     So-called 
from  the  Indian  who  two  hundred  years  ago  made 
his  home  there,  Porridge  s    Neck.      We  find  in 
the    Indian    deed    for     Yamphank    Neck,    1688, 


196  Indian  Place-Names 

"Wopehege  allis  porridg.  "In  the  Indian  deed 
of  1690  for  roads  that  crossed  this  neck,  to  Richard 
Woodhull,  it  appears  as  "Waphege"  only  (H.  B.  R., 
vol.  i.,  pp.  70-75).  Probably  the  Indian  was  so- 
called  on  account  of  his  fondness  for  that  old 
dish,  samp-  porridge.  The  word  would  thus  be 
not  of  Indian  origin  linguistically. 

312.  POTINACK:  a  hole  or  deep  depression  on 
Montauk  about  a  mile  west  of  the  "Hither  Plain" 
U.    S.    Life-Saving    Station,    in    close   proximity 
to  the  cliffs,  sometimes  filled  with  water.     Bearing 
the  same  name  are  two  other  holes :  (a)  Potinack 
hole,   short  distance  north  of  the  above  in  the 
woods,  a  flaggy  hole,    (b)  Potinack  hole,  a  watering 
place  at  the  junction  of  four  farms  at  Amagansett. 
In  the  East  Hampton  Records  (vol.  iv.,  1889)   I 
translated  this  name  as  "where  the  land  sinks," 
that  is  "gutting  in,"  making  it  correspond  to  the 
Massachusetts    p®toae,   with   the    locative    -ack, 
"land,"   and  related   to  Potunk.     I   may  be  in 
error    as    regards    this    derivation,    and    it    may 
simply  be  one  of  the  many  forms  of  Appuhqui- 
auke.     See  Appaquogue  and  Potunk. 

313.  POTUNK:  a  neck  of  land  and  meadows  at 
West  Hampton.     In   the  Indian   deed   to   John 
Ogden,  May  12,  1659,  the  bounds  were:    "North- 
ward to  water  of  the  bay  and  to  the  creek  of 
Accaboucke,  westward  to  the  place  called  Pehecan- 


On  Long  Island  197 

nache,  and  southerly  to  Potuncke's"  (S.  H.  R., 
vol.  i.,  p.  162 ;  E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  156).  Variations 
are:  Potunck;  meadow  at  Potunk,  1683;  meadow 
at  Potonke,  1686;  Potunk,  1696.  The  name  is 
related  to  the  Chippewa  petobeg,  "a  bog";  Abnaki 
poteba",  "to  sink  in  the  mire."  Trumbull  gives 
Potonke,  "a  place  where  the  foot  sinks,"  "a  boggy 
place."  Podunk,  the  Indian  name  of  a  tract  of 
meadow  adjoining  Quabaug  Pond  in  Brookfield 
(Worcester  Co.),  Mass.,  seems  to  be  the  same 
word.  The  components  are:  pot-,  "to  sink," 
-unk,  locative. 

314.  POXABOG:  a  farming  district,  and  a  pond 
at  Bridgehampton.  It  is  first  found  on  record 
in  the  laying  out  of  the  South  Division  of  South- 
ampton in  1712,  viz.:  "Runs  into  a  litel  slade 
for  water  ner  paugasaboug — Then  we  went  east- 
ward of  paugaseboug  by  East  Hampton  path" 
(S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  162).  Variants  are:  Pougoso- 
boug,  1726;  Pogaseboge,  1724;  Poxabogue,  1763; 
modernly  Poxabog.  W.  S.  Pelletreau,  Esq.,  in  the 
Town  Records,  gives  the  meaning  as  a  "bathing 
place."  This  is  incorrect,  as  it  does  not  describe 
the  pond ;  beside  the  suffix  -bang  is  a  frequenta- 
tive for  the  inseparable  generic  pe-auke,  "water- 
place,"  "a  pond."  The  first  part  is  paugasa 
(Trumbull),  "to  open  out,"  or  "to  widen," 
"spread  out."  Paugasa-baug,  thus  means  "a 
pond  that  opens  out,"  or  "widens,"  which  this 


198  Indian  Place-Names 

pond  frequently  does.  In  dry  seasons,  it  contains 
a  very  little  water,  but  in  wet  seasons  I  have  seen 
it  very  full,  flowing  out  through  its  outlet  into 
Sagg  Swamp  and  Pond,  across  the  Easthampton 
road. 

315.  POYHAS:  a  swamp  within  Hashamomuk 
bounds,  Southold  town.     Mentioned  in  the  deed 
of  1660,  as  having  been  reserved  at  a  previous 
sale,  viz.:    "they  the  said  Indians  reserving  out 
of  the  said  neck  to  themselves  two  swamps,  one 
called  Poyhas,  the  other  Weakewanopp"  (S.  R., 
vol.  i.,  p.  209).     It  was  reserved  for  the  use  of 
Poyhas,  an  Indian  who  lived  and  planted  there, 
and  was  one  of  the  "five  wigwams"  referred  to  in 
the  Jackson  deed  of  1640. 

316.  PUMCATAWE:  a  tract  of  land  in  Brook- 
haven  town.     Recorded  in  the  Fletcher  patent  for 
the  Manor  of  St.  George,  1693,  V'1Z-  '•  "alsotwosmall 
tracts  of  land  and  meadow,  lying  east  of  Mastic 
River    called    Pumcatawe    and    Hoggs     Necke" 
(Thompson,  vol.  ii.).      In   the   Graham   survey, 
Sept.  19,  1693:  Puncatane  or  Puncataue,  Puenca- 
tame,  Punecatone.      The  name  is  that  of  an  Indian 
who   formerly  lived   on  the  land.     A  Montauk 
Indian  had  a  name  very  similar,  viz. :  Pokkatone, 
varied  as  Poquatone. 

317.  PUNG-PLUES  :  a  small  creek  in  Brookhaven 
town,    at   Moriches.     Mentioned   in   the   Indian 


On  Long  Island  199 

deed  of  1681,  for  a  neck  of  land  and  meadow, 
with  a  little  island  at  the  south  end,  viz.:  "being 
the  second  smal  neck  from  Setuck,  bounded 
on  the  est  by  Watchauge,  on  the  south  by  the 
bay,  on  the  west  by  a  small  creek,  pung-plues; 
on  the  north  a  miele  up  in  the  woods"  (B.  H.  R., 
vol.  i.,  p.  51).  It  was  probably  called  Pung-plue's 
neck,  from  the  Indian  who  lived  there. 

318.  PUNK'S  HOLE:  a  name  formerly  applied 
to  the  village  now  known  as  Manor,  Riverhead 
town,  or  to  a  locality  near  that  hamlet.     Punk 
was  a  name  given  by  the  Indians  to  a  fungous 
growth  found  on  old  oak  trees  and  stumps,  and 
used    by    them    for    fuel    (cf.    Delaware    punk, 
"ashes,"  "dust,"  "tinder,"  "gunpowder,"  etc.). 
The  traditional  origin  of  Punk's  Hole  is  that  an 
early  settler  became  lost  in  the  woods,  and  was  able 
to  locate  himself  only  by  these  growths  on  some 
old  trees  in  a  hollow.     On  being  asked  where  he 
had  been,  he  replied,   "At  Punk's  Hole."     See 
the  account  of  punk  in  the  "Handbook  of  Ameri- 
can Indians  North  of  Mexico  (vol.  ii.,  1910,    p. 
238). 

319.  QUACONSUCK:   an   abbreviated   form   of 
Pauquacumsuck    (q.  v.).     "In    1660,  Capt.  John 
Scott  conveyed  to  Thomas  Hutchinson  (late  of 
Lynn,  Mass.),  a  tract  of  land,  lying  from  South- 
ampton  westward  30  miles,  at  a  wading  river 


2OO  Indian  Place-Names 

called  by  the  Indians  Quaconsuck"    (Thompson, 
vol.  ii.,  p.  320). 

320.  QUADAMS:  hill  in  the  Indian  field,  near 
the  Oyster  Pond,  Montauk.     From  the  mark  of 
the  possessive  case,  it  was  probably  so-called  from 
some  Indian  who  resided  in  the  "Field. " 

321.  QUAGGA:    Indian   trail    or   path    in    the 
western  part  of  Southampton  town  at  Atlantic- 
ville.     Mentioned  in  1656:  "4th  neck  begins  at  a 
marked  tree  a  little  below  quogo  path,"  and  in 
1738:  "which  fence  is  within  a  few  pole  of  Quagga 
path"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  114;  vol.  iii.,p.  119). 
This  trail  or  path  crossed  all  the  necks  in  this 
section.     The  whites   called  it  quagga   or   quago 
path  because  it  led  to  Quaquanantuck  Neck  at 
the  meadows.     See  Quaquanantuck. 

322.  QUAGO  :  a  ditch  in  the  western  part  of 
Southampton     town.     Mentioned     in    a    survey 
of  meadow  land,  1712,  viz.:   "and  ye   Island   of 
sedg  in  the  west  end  of  Quago  Ditch  and  ye  medow 
upon  ye  beach  from  ye  west  end  of  Quago  ditch" 
(S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  159).     It  is  the  ditch  that 
connects  Shinnecock  Bay  with  the  Great  South 
Bay,  through  the  Quaquanantuck  meadows,  men- 
tioned   previously    in    1675,    viz.:    "so    running 
thence  round  by  the  bay  to  the  ditch  ye  towne 
digged"     (S.   H.   R.,   vol.   ii.,   p.   253).     This  is 


On  Long  Island  201 

another    abbreviation    of    Quaquanantuck.     See 
Quagga,  Quaquanantuck. 

323.  QUALICAN:   a  locality  on  Mastic  Neck, 
Brookhaven  town.     Mentioned  in   Wm.  Smith's 
deed    to    Indians    at  Pusspa'tok    in    1700,   viz.: 
"and  ten  akers  at  Qualican"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i., 
p.    91).     This   name   is   perhaps   the   equivalent 
of  the  Delaware  qsahican,  "to  measure"  (q'sahi 
"measure  it ") ;     Chippewa  dibaigan,  l ' measure. 
So-called  because  it  was  land  "measured"  or  "laid 
out"  for  the  Indians'  use. 

324.  QUAMUCK:  a  place  on  the  Great  South 
beach  opposite  Atlanticville,  Southampton  town. 
It  was  at  one  time  an  inlet  from  the  ocean  some- 
times known  as  the  "old  inlet,"  but  now  closed 
for  many  years.     An  old  resident  of  Moriches, 
Alexander   Ryder,    aged    85    in    1889,    gives   the 
information,    that    "a   large    and    extensive   flat 
formed  where  the  water  rushed  in  and  out;  on 
this  flat  they  formerly  drew  their  nets  for  the 
small  fish  locally  known  as  'mummies,'  used  as 
bait  for  eel-pots,  etc."     This  word  is  apparently 
an  abbreviation  of  some  such  term  as  Enaugh- 
quamuck  (q.  v.). 

325.  QUANCH:  an  island  in  the  Great  South 
Bay  opposite  Bellport,  Brookhaven  town.     The 
earliest   record   is   in  1773,  viz.:   "Place  ye  west 


2O2  Indian  Place-Names 

end  of  a  slip  of  meadow  between  Quanch  and 
whale  house  poynt"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  192). 

326.  QUANDOEQUAREOUS  :  west  branch  of  New- 
town  Creek,  Queen's  Co.     So-named  in  the  deed 
of  July  13,  1666:    "from  thence  running  upon  the 
line  westward  by  the  south  side  of  the  hills,  till 
it  meet  with  the  south  line  which  is  extended  from 
the  west  branch  of  Mespat  kills  called  Quandoe- 
quareous"  (Riker's   Annals  of  Newtown,~p.  72). 
Variants  are:  Quandus  Quaricus  (Book  of  Deeds, 
vol.  ii.,  p.  135,  Office  of  Sec'y  of  State,  Albany, 
N.    Y.),    Quandus  Quaricus    (Furman's    Antiq. 
of  L.I. ,  p.  181). 

327.  QUANTUCK:   bay   and   creek   at   Quogue 
in   western   Southampton   town.     It   is  first   re- 
ferred to  in  the  laying  of  Quaquantuck  Neck  in 
1673,    viz.:    "Assops   Neck   from   Quantuck   bay 
on  the  west  side  to  the  little  rivulet  commonly 
called  Cuttings  creek"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  253). 
Gov.  Andros,  in  1676,  gave  John  Cooper  permis- 
sion to  make  fishing- weirs  in  two  creeks  or  rivers ; 
"one  being  called  Meacocks  (the  bay)  and  the 
other  Quaquantuck"  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv., 
p.  727).     Variants    are:    Quantuck    Creek,    1687; 
Quantuck,   1682,   etc.     Quantuck  is  probably  an 
abbreviation  of  Quaquanantuck.     If  not,  it  might 
be  translated  "long   tidal  stream,"  from  quan- 


On  Long  Island  203 

(Massachusetts    qunni),    "long";    -tuck,     "tidal 
stream,"  "creek."     See  Quaquanantuck. 

328.  QUANUNTOWUNK  :  northern  part  of  Fort 
Pond,  Montauk,  East  Hampton  town.  The 
Montauk  Indian  deed  of  1661  to  the  inhabitants 
of  East  Hampton  gives  the  following:  "All  the 
peice  or  neck  of  land,  belonging  to  Mtmtaukut 
land  westward  to  a  fresh  pond  in  a  beach,  on  this 
side  westward  to  the  place  where  the  old  Indian 
fort  stood,  on  the  other  side  eastward  to  the  new 
fort  that  is  yet  standing,  the  name  of  the  pond 
being  Quanuntowunk  on  the  north  and  Konhun- 
ganik  on  the  south"  (Hedges's  Address,  1849, 
Appendix,  p.  83).  It  appears  also  as  Quaunonto- 
wounk  (Ranger's  Deeds  of  Montauk,  1850)  and 
is  varied  as  Quannontowock,  Quannotowounk, 
Quanotowonk.  Owing  to  a  mistake  made  by  the 
late  David  Gardiner  in  his  Chronicles  of  East 
Hampton  and  quoted  by  nearly  every  historian 
since,  this  name  has  been  applied  to  the  "Fresh 
Pond"  in  the  "Hither  Woods,"  when  it  really 
belonged  to  "Fort  Pond"  ("Muntaukut  land 
westward  to  a  fresh  pond  in  a  beach").  This 
quotation  means  all  the  land  on  the  western  end 
of  Montauk  to  a  fresh  pond  as  its  eastern  bound- 
ary. The  deed  was  written  and  executed  at  West 
Hampton,  the  Indians  being  there  under  protec- 
tion of  the  English,  in  order  to  escape  the  Narra- 
gansetts,  as  set  forth  in  the  deed:  "On  this  side 


2O4  Indian  Place-Names 

westward  (East  Hampton  side)  to  where  the  old 
Indian  fort  stood"  (on  the  west  side  of  Nominick 
Hills  at  Neapeague).  This  takes  in  the  whole 
of  "Fresh  Pond"  and  goes  nearly  a  mile  further 
west  (see  Sale  of  Montauk  and  Map,  1879): 
"On  the  other  side  eastward  to  where  the  new 
fort  is  yet  standing"  (on  Fort  Hill  overlooking 
Fresh  Pond).  The  "fresh  pond  in  a  beach" 
describes  "Fort  Pond,"  the  other  being  in  the 
woods  and  surrounded  by  hills.  The  name  of 
the  pond  (only  one  being  mentioned)  is  Quanun- 
towunk  on  the  north  and  Konhunganick  on  the 
south.  This  proves  that  both  names  belong  to 
Fort  Pond.  In  the  East  Hampton  Records  (1889, 
vol.  iv.)  I  suggested  a  meaning  that  seemed  to  be 
correct  by  etymology  and  with  reference  to  the 
location  to  which  it  was  applied,  viz.:  quanon, 
"long";  "towunk,"  a  ford,  "  wading-place, "  refer- 
ring to  the  outlet  of  the  pond  through  which  the 
Indians  dragged  their  canoes.  I  had  previously 
given  an  interpretatio  i  in  the  Brooklyn  Eagle 
Almanac  for  1889,  as  "where  there  was  a  fence." 
This  I  now  consider  more  correct  than  the  other, 
for  close  study  of  the  deed  and  of  Eliot's  Indian 
Bible  has  convinced  me  that  it  is  the  parallel  of  the 
Massachusetts  (Eliot)  quaneuntunk,  "a  division," 
"turning-place,"  "a  fence."  This  is  used  by  Eliot 
sometimes  with  a  prefix  as  in  qussuk-quaneuntun- 
kanit  ( Jer.  xxxix. ,  4,  "  a  wall ' ' ;  literally  ' '  at  the  place 
of  the  stone  division").  Quanuntowunk  was  the 


On  Long  Island  205 

"fence"  that  divided  or  separated  the  beach  on  the 
northern  part  of  the  pond,  and  is  referred  to  in 
the  deed,  viz.:  "know  ye  allso  yt  for  ye  securing 
of  ye  Easterne  parte  of  Montaukut  Land,  which 
ye  Indians  are  to  live  upon,  yt  the  Inhabitants 
of  ye  aforesaid  East  Hampton  shall  from  time 
to  time,  keep  up  a  sufficient  fence  upon  ye  North 
side  of  ye  foresaid  pond,  and  the  Indians  are  to 
secure  ye  South  side  of  ye  foresaid  pond,  from 
all  cattle,  During  ye  time  their  corn  is  upon  the 
ground."  Thus  Quanuntowunk  was  the  "fence" 
on  the  north;  Konkhonganik  the  "fence"  on  the 
south.  The  original  deed  has  the  name  Quaun- 
nontowounk. 

329.  QUAQUA.     See  QUOGUE. 

330.  QUAQUANANTUCK  :  a  locality  in  the  west- 
ern part  of  Southampton  town.     First  found  on 
record  at  a  town  meeting  of    1651,  when:    "the 
inhabitants    agree   to    give    Richard    Odell    tenn 
pounds  in  good  merchantable  wampum  for  gratu- 
ity of  resigning  up  his  title  of  land  at  Quagan- 
antuck" ;   again   in  1652:   "the   said   attempt   to 
regain  Shinnecock  meddow  shall  bee  by  cutting 
a  trench  between  Shinnecock  water  [the  bay]  and 
Quaguanantuck  water"  (S.  H.  R.,vol.  i.,pp.  79,  88). 
Variations  are  on  record :  Quaguanantuck  meddow, 
1652;    "Thos.  Halsey  shall  have  the  priviledge  of 
the  medow  called  Quaquantuck"  1659;  Quaquanan- 


206  Indian  Place-Names 

tick,  1662;  Quaquanantuck,  1663;  Quaqquanantuck, 
1665;  Quagquantick,  1665;  Quagwanantuck,  1666; 
Quaquenantack,  1667;  Quaquantuck,  1676.  It  was 
called  in  the  early  days  of  the  town  the  "Qua- 
quanantuck  purchase,"  and  for  short,  at  varied 
periods,  was  known  as  the  Quaqua,  Quago,  Quogo, 
Quagga,  Quag,  and  lastly  as  the  Quogue  purchase 
(S.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  ii.,  iii).  Dr.  John  G.  Shea,  in 
a  communication  to  Wm.  S.  Pelletreau,  Esq., 
gave  the  meaning  as  the  "  place  where  the  bay 
bends."  This  cannot  be  the  meaning  in  the 
sense  as  given,  although  it  might  bend  under  fool . 
The  name  is  derived  from  the  Massachusetts 
(Eliot)  equivalent  of  quequan,  "to  quake,"  "to 
tremble";  quequanne  (Trambull),  "a  shaking 
marsh";  -tuk  or  -tuck,  the  inseparable  generic 
name  for  "river"  or  "stream,"  denoting  water 
in  motion  (the  verb  tukk®  was  nearly  equivalent 
to  the  Latin  fluctuatur,  Trumbull).  Thus  Qua- 
quanne-tuck  signifies  "a  cove  or  estuary  where  it 
quakes  or  trembles,"  being  descriptive  of  the 
extensive  meadows  that  border  the  waters  now 
known  as  Quantuck  Bay  (Quequaneht-auke,  "where 
the  land  shakes  or  trembles").  See  Quantuck. 

331.  QUARAPIN:  a  round  swamp  in  Hunting- 
ton.    The   name   refers  to  "where  Quarapin,  an 
Indian,  formerly  planted"  (H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  37). 

332.  QUASHA.     See  Pequash. 


On  Long;  Island  207 

333-  QUGGALUNE:  a  locality  in  the  western 
part   of    Southampton  town,  mentioned    in  the 
laying  out  of  the  north  division  of  the  Quaquanan- 
tuck  purchase  in  1738,  viz.:  "and  then  a  highway 
of  four  pole  wide — the  east  side  of  Assoops  Neck 
then  a  high  way  of  eight  pole  wide  from  thence  to 
Quggalune,  and  then  a  highway  gust  at  the  going 
over  of  the  creek  or  head  of  the  Swamp"  (S.  H. 
R.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  117).     Derivation  uncertain. 

334-  QUINTE  :  a  creek  in  the  town  of  Islip. 

335-  QUIOGUE:  a  neck  of  land  between  Aspa- 
tuck  and  Quantuck  creeks  in  the  western  part  of 
Southampton  town,  formerly  known  as  "Little 
Assop's  Neck."     This  is  another  derivation  from 
Quaquanantuck.     Land  and  meadows  at  Quiogue 
are  mentioned  in  1753  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  162). 
See  Quaquanantuck. 

336.  QUOCHAGUE:  "June  19,  1787,  Henry 
Wells  deposeth  and  saith  that  the  fence  at  a 
place  called  the  Little  Neck  in  Quochague  stands 
where  it  did  forty  years  ago"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii., 
p.  514).  See  Cutchogue. 

337-  QUOGUE:  a  village  in  the  western  part  of 
Southampton  town  on  Quantuck  Bay.  The  tract 
of  salt  meadows  and  land  in  this  section  was  known 
as  the  Quaquanantuck  purchase,  and  for  short, 


208  Indian  Place-Names 

was  called  by  abbreviated  forms  of  the  longer  name : 
Quago,  1738;  Quoag,  1742;  Quagga,  1742;  Quag, 
1742;  Quogue,  1742,  and  afterwards.  Both  Geo. 
R.  Ho  well,  A.M.,  and  Wm.  Pelletreau,  the  two 
Southampton  historians,  derive  in  the  same  way. 
Furman  (Antiq.  of  L.  /.)  and  E.  B.  O'Callaghan 
(Hist.  Mag.  of  Amer.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  149)  derive  it 
from  quohaug  (Narragansett  poquohaug),  "the 
round  clam."  Neither  had  access  to  the  records 
of  the  town  to  show  its  early  origin,  which  accounts 
for  their  error.  See  Quaquanantuck. 

338.  QUONETTQUOTT  :  a  locality  mentioned 
in  the  records  of  East  Hampton  town,  May  19, 
1690,  viz.:  "John  and  Margaret  Robinson  of 
Cornbury  in  the  bounds  of  Flushing,  Queen's  Co., 
do  appoint  our  friend  Andrew  Gibb  of  Quonett- 
quott  in  ye  County  of  Suffolk,  our  atturney  to  col- 
lect sums  of  money  due  for  rent  of  a  dwelling 
house  in  the  town  of  East  Hampton"  (vol.  ii., 
p.  253).  Andrew  Gibb  was  a  prominent  man  at 
that  period  and  Quonettquott  was  probably  the 
West  Connecticut  River  known  as  Connetquot 
brook  in  Islip,  although  he  owned  land  near 
both  streams.  Quonne-tukq-ut  signifies  "at  the 
long  river,"  from  quonne,  "long";  -tukq,  "tidal 
river";  -ut,  "at."  See  Connecticut. 

339-  QUORIAC:  a  locality  in  the  town  of  Baby- 
lon. Mentioned  in  the  will  of  Jonas  Wood,  1688, 


On  Long  Island  209 

who  leaves  his  son  Jonas  "four  acres  of  Meadow 
either  at  Quoriack  or  at  Tantamuntatauket." 
Jonas  Wood,  ST.,  having  been  one  of  the  original 
purchasers  of  the  meadow  and  afterwards  of  the 
upland  on  Guscomquorom.  Of  the  latter  I  am 
inclined  to  regard  Quoriac  as  an  abbreviation. 
See  Guscomquorom. 

340.  RAPAHAMUCK:  a  neck  of  land  in  the 
western  part  of  Southampton  town,  near  Flanders. 
Mentioned  in  the  allotment  of  the  Aquebaug 
meadows  in  1686,  as  follows:  "And  goes  on  both 
sides  the  Birch  Creek  to  a  marked  tree  in  Rapaha- 
muck  neck,  soe  the  lots  increase  downe  the  neck 
to  Rapahamuck  point, — the  Island  by  Rapaha- 
muck  is  number  33"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  117). 
Nath.  Halsey's  will,  March  7,  1745  (Pelletreau's 
Abstracts)  mentions  "one  lot  of  meadow  at  the 
bottom  of  Jumping  neck  called  Rapahannock." 
Birch  Creek  mentioned  above  was  called  at  an 
earlier  date  Suggamuck,  "the  bass  fishing-place." 
Rapahamuck  neck  is  at  the  mouth  of  this  creek. 
The  R,  as  given  in  the  English  notations  was  not 
sounded  by  the  Indians  according  to  Eliot,  Hecke- 
welder,  and  others,  and  it  does  not  appear  in  any 
of  their  works.  Therefore  I  consider  rapah  to 
correspond  to  the  Massachusetts  and  Narragan- 
sett  appeh,  "a  snare, "  "a  trap. "  The  other  com- 
ponent is  the  locative  -amuck,  "a  fishing-place." 

Rapahamuck  signifies,  therefore,  "a  trap  fishing- 
14 


2IO  Indian  Place-Names 

place";  and  this  may  have  been  a  weir  erected 
by  the  Indians,  or  a  net  placed  across  the  mouth 
of  Suggamuck  in  the  manner  mentioned  by  Wood, 
viz.:  "when  they  use  to  tide  it  in  and  out  to  the 
Rivers  and  Creeks,  the  English  at  the  top  of  an 
high  water  do  croffe  the  creeks  with  long  seanes  or 
Baffe  Nette,  which  stop  in  the  fifh;  and  the  water 
ebbing  from  them  they  are  left  on  the  dry  ground, 
sometimes  two  or  three  thousand  at  a  set" 
(N.  E.  Prospect,  1634,  p.  38). 

341.  RASSAPEAGUE:  "a  peninsula,  containing 
two  or  three  fine  farms,  and  terminating  on  the 
east,  near  the  entrance  to  Stony  Brook  Harbor" 
(Thompson,  vol.  i.,  p.  459).  On  Nov.  10,  1658: 
"The  Indians  sell  land  lying  betweene  Seatalk 
Bounds  and  Nesaquak  River  and  a  swampe 
called  Rasapeague  on  the  west  side"  (Book  of 
Deeds,  vol.  ii.,  p.  90,  Office  of  the  Sec'y  of  State 
Albany,  N.  Y.).  In  probably  January,  1687, 
Andrew  Gibb  petitions  for  "a  patent  for  two  small 
islands  of  creeke  thatch  meadow  in  the  Rassa- 
peague  Bay,  the  first  being  the  second  island  from 
the  harbor  mouth  to  the  northwestward  of  Stony 
Brook,  and  the  other  next  adjacent"  (Cal.  of 
Land  Papers  in  the  Office  of  the  Sec'y  of  State, 
p.  44).  Rassapeague,  the  swamp  or  meadow, 
signifies:  "a  muddy  or  miry  water  place  or  cove." 
The  components  of  the  word  are  rassa-,  the 
equivalent  of  the  Delaware  assiska,  "muddy"  or 


On  Long  Island  21 1 

"miry";  -pe-auke,  "a  water-place,"  "a  cove." 
Compare  Rassaweak,  mentioned  by  Capt.  John 
Smith  (Gen.  Hist,  of  Virginia,  1624,  Book  iii., 
p.  86) ;  "I  am  not  now  at  Rassaweak  half  drowned 
with  myre,  where  you  took  me  prisoner." 

342.  RECHOUWHACKY:  see  Rockaway. 

343.  RECHTANK:  Corlear's  Hook,  Manhattan 
Island,   New   York    (De    Kay) ;     also   Nechtank 
(De  Kay).     Schoolcraft  says:    "Corlear's    Hook 
was  called  Naghtognk.     The  particle  -tonk   here 
denotes  sand."     The  Dutch  notation  is  Nechtauk, 
or  Nechtank.     See  Naghtognk. 

344.  RECHTGA WANES :  "A  point  on  East  River 
near  Hell  Gate"  (De  Kay). 

345.  RECKKEWICK.     See  Marechkawick. 

346.  RINNEGACKONCK  :  a  tract  of  land  at  the 
Wallabout,  City  of  Brooklyn,  King's  Co.     It  is 
first  noted  in  the  Indian  deed  dated  June  16,  1637, 
"when  Kakapetteyno,  Pewichaas,    owners   of  the 
district    transferred    to    George   Rapaljie   a   cer- 
tain peice  of  land,  called  Rinnegackonck,  situate 
on   Long    Island — reaching    from    a    kil    to    the 
woods  south  and  east  to  a  certain  copse  where 
the  water  runs  over  the  stones."     Variations  are: 
Rinnegachonk,  1638;  Rinnegaconck,  1638;  Renneg- 


212  Indian  Place-Names 

konc,  1641;  Rinngackonck,  1651  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y., 
vol.  xiv.,  p.  3,  et  seq.).  Rinnegackonck  ( =  Winneg- 
ack-onck)  signifies  "on  the  pleasant  land"  (Massa- 
chusetts Wunnegenayeunk,  Cotton,  "a  delightful 
place)."  The  components  of  the  word  are  rinneg 
( =  winneg,  corresponding  to  Massachusetts  winne 
or  wunne],  "pleasant";  -ack  (-auke),  "land"; 
-onck,  locative,  "at."  See  Algonquian  Series, 
vol.  ii.,  pp.  21-29  f°r  a  further  discussion  of  the 
word  Rinnegackonck. 

347.  ROANOKE:  a  point  of  land  on  the  north 
shore  of  the  Island  in  Riverhead  town.  This  is 
probably  not  a  Long  Island  Indian  name,  but  one 
adopted  from  the  island  and  river  Roanoke  in 
North  Carolina,  of  which  Trumbull  says:  "The 
name  of  the  island  and  the  river  Roanoke  appears 
to  have  been  taken  from  'Roenoke'  or  'Rawrenock' 
(as  Captain  John  Smith  wrote  it),  the  common 
shell-money  of  the  Indians  corresponding  to  the 
white  ('wompom')  lpeag'  of  the  northern  tribes. 
Beverly  describes  this  sort  of  'peag'  as  'made  of 
the  cockle-shells,  broken  into  small  bits,  with 
rough  edges  drilled  through  in  the  same  manner 
as  beads. '  Its  name  was  given  to  the  island  for  the 
same  reason,  probably,  that  the  Indians  of  New 
Netherland  and  part  of  New  England  called  Long 
Island  'Sewan-hacky,'  because  it  supplied  the 
material  for  the  manufacture  of  'sewan'  or  'bead- 
money'  "  (Hist.  Mag.,  vol.  i.,  1870,  p.  47).  See 


On  Long  Island  213 

discussion  of  Roanoke  in  the  Handbook  of  American 
Indians  North  of  Mexico  (vol.  ii.,  1910,  pp.  392, 
393)- 

348.  ROCKAWAY:  name  now  applied  to  several 
localities  in  the  southern  part  of  Hempstead  town. 
It  originally  designated  either  the  long  neck  of 
land  now  known  as  Rockaway  Beach,  or  the 
principal  place  of  residence  of  the  Rockaway 
tribe  on  this  neck.  This  name  appears  first  on 
record  in  the  Indian  deed  of  1639:  "  Mechowodt 
the  chief  Sachem  of  Massapeague  and  its  depend- 
ances,  who  conveys  all  his  patrimonial  lands 
on  the  southside  of  Long  Island  from  Rechouw- 
hacky  to  Sicketauwhacky "  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y., 
vol.  xvi.,  p.  15).  The  first  conveyance  to  the  Eng- 
lish in  1643  mentions  it  thus: — "  Wee  of  Masepege, 
Merriack  or  Rockaway"  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol. 
xiv.,  p.  530).  De  Vries,  in  1643,  writes:  "At 
evening  we  arrived  at  Rechqua  Akie,  where  we 
found  the  chief,  who  had  one  eye,  with  two  or 
three  hundred  Indians  and  about  thirty  houses. 
They  led  us  into  his  house  and  treated  us  as  to 
what  they  had  as  oysters  and  fish  which  they 
catch  there"  (Col.  N.  Y.  Hist.  Soc.,  2d  series, 
vol.  ii.,  pp.  I,  117).  Variations  are :  Reckonhacky, 
1645 ;  Rockeway,  1655 ;  Rackeaway,  1662.  "In  1685, 
Pamas,  the  Sagamore  and  others,  sell  Rockaway 
Neck  extending  from  west  bounds  of  Hempstead  to 
Rockaway  Inlet "  (Thompson,  vol.  ii.,  p.  17).  The 


214  Indian  Place-Names 

name  Rockaway  has  been  variously  interpreted, 
among  the  significations  suggested  being  such  a 
romantic  one  as  "our  place  of  laughing  waters. " 
The  form  of  the  word  cited  by  De  Vries,  Rechqua 
Akie,  may  very  well  signify  "sandy  land  or 
country,"  from  rechqua  (  =  Delaware  lekau;  Chip- 
pewa  nequa),  "sand";  -akie,  "place."  Another 
etymology  worth  considering  makes  the  name  the 
equivalent  of  the  Delaware  Nechoha-hacky,  "the 
lonely  place"  (nechoha,  "alone";  -hacky,  "place"). 
The  name  "sandy  place"  would  fully  describe 
the  neck  of  land  to  which  it  belongs. 

349.  RONKONKOMA:  a  large  lake  in  the  central 
part  of  Long  Island,  on  the  bounds  between  the 
towns  of  Brookhaven,  Islip,  and  Smithtown. 
Also  applied  to  a  post-office  village  in  Islip  town. 
The  first  record  now  to  be  found  of  this  name  is 
in  the  Indian  deed  of  Smithtown,  1664,  viz.: 
"Bounds  which  they  had  formerly  made  into 
Raconkumake  a  fresh  pond  aboute  the  midl  of 
Long  Island"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  9).  Nicoll's 
Patent,  1665,  has:  "Bearing  southward  to  a 
certaine  ffresh  Pond  called  Raconkamuck. "  Varia- 
tions beside  the  above  are:  Raconckamich,  1675; 
Raconchony,  1697;  Rockconcomuck,  1725;  Roncon- 
camuck,  1735;  Ronconhama,  1817;  modernly  Ron- 
konkoma  and  Ronkonkama.  The  meaning  given 
by  various  histories  of  Long  Island,  viz.:  "white 
sand  pond"  is  incorrect.  A  very  poetical  signi- 


On  Long  Island  215 

fication  has  been  given  by  Prof.  E.  W.  Horsford, 
of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  viz.:  "ron  'noise  of 
flight  (as  of  a  bird)';  konk  'wild  goose';  -omack 
'inclosed  place,'  or  as  a  whole,  'the  wild  goose 
resting  place'  (in  its  migrations)."  I  accepted  this 
at  one  time,  and  gave  it  in  the  Brooklyn  Eagle 
Almanac  for  1888.  In  the  same  Almanac  for  1889, 
I  interpreted  it  as  "the  weir  fishing-place,"  con- 
sidering the  name  the  same  as  that  of  a  pond  in 
Connecticut  at  the  north  west  corner  of  Suffield 
(partly  in  Massachusetts)  called  Wonococomaug, 
now  Congamuck.  This,  Dr.  Trumbull  suggests, 
is  from  Wonkunk-ama^lg,  "a  fishing  place  where 
there  is  a  weir  or  fence"  (cf.  Massachusetts 
wonkonous,  ' '  fence,  "  "  fort, "  "  stronghold ' ' ; 
Chippewa  wakakina,  "a  fence").  The  same 
radical  appears  in  those  terms  designating  a 
boundary  place.  Taking  this  as  our  guide,  and 
considering  the  mention  in  the  early  records  of 
"the  bounds  which  we  formerly  made"  together 
with  the  fact  that  the  pond  is  always  referred  to 
as  a  boundary  place  in  the  years  above  given,  we 
must  look  that  way  for  its  meaning.  Therefore, 
Raconkum,  Raconkam,  or  Ronkonkam  may  be  a 
dialectic  variation  corresponding  to  the  Massa- 
chusetts (Eliot)  Kuhkonkan,  "a  bound."  This 
with  the  locative  -amuck,  "a  fishing-place"  give 
us  "the  boundary  fishing-place."  If  the  first 
component  is  wonkonous,  "a  fence,"  it  would 
still  be  "a  boundary-place."  See  Algonquian 


216  Indian  Place-Names 

Series,  vol.  vii.,  pp.  44-48,  where  the  etymology, 
"the  fence  or  boundary  fishing-place"  is  preferred. 

350.  RUGS  :  a  neck  of  land  and  creek  in  South- 
ampton town  at  Noyack.     Recorded  in  laying 
out  a  highway  in  1738:    "Highway  to  hog  neck 
spring,  another  to  Jonah  Rogers  farm,  another  to 
Rugs  stream — and  we  the  said  layers  out  did  lay 
out  Ruggs  neck  in  four  squadrons"   (S.  H.  R., 
vol.  iii.,  p.  94).     Rugs  stream  is  the  brook  now 
known  as  "Thompson's  Trout  Ponds"  at  Noyack. 
This  was  the  name  of  an  Indian  residing  there. 
Rugg  has  been  perpetuated  as  an  Indian  personal 
name  down  to  the  present  time.     One  known  as 
"Old  Rugg"  lived  on  the  west  side  of  Fort  Pond 
Bay,  Montauk,  in  a  little  shanty,  until  his  death  a 
few  years  ago. 

351 .  RUGUA  :  a  swamp  in  the  town  of  Babylon, 
near   Copiag  Neck.     It  is  found  in  the  Indian 
deed  of  the  "Baiting  Place"  purchase,  1698,  viz.: 
"So    running   eastward   to    ye   head    of   Rugua 
Swamp"    (H.    R.).      This    is    another    instance 
where  a  swamp  takes  its  name  from  the  aboriginal 
dweller  on  its  banks.     That  swamps  were  fre- 
quently chosen  by  the  Indians  for  their  dwelling 
places  is  proven  frequently  in  the  early  records  of 
the  town;  for  instance,  a  deed  of  1698  says:    "a 
parcel  of  land  within  the  bounds  of  Huntington — 
by  a  swampe  comonly  called   ye    round  swamp 


On  Long  Island  217 

where  Quarapin  formerly  planted"  (H.  R.,  vol.  ii., 
p.  37).  Nearly  every  swamp  in  the  vicinity  of  Sag 
Harbor  examined  by  the  writer  has  a  shell-heap  on 
its  northern  slopes  showing  Indian  sojourners  in 
time  past. 

352.  RUNGCATAMY:  a  tract  of  land  in  the  town 
of   Htmtington.     It   is   found   on   record   in   the 
Indian   deed   to  Wm.    Massey,   April   28,  1692: 
"Certain  Land    on    Long  Island — called  by  the 
Indians  Rungcatamy — a  certain  tract  or  parcel! 
of  land  at  Runscatamy  aforsd — at  Round  swamp 
so  called  and  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  country 
road"  (H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  107).     This  is  probably 
the  name  of  the  Indian  who  erected  his  wigwam 
there,   and  possibly  the  same  one  whose  name 
appears  on  the  deed  of  1 702  corrupted  to  Cungemy 
(H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  28).     Quarapin  another  Indian 
planted  at  another  part  of  the  same  swamp.     See 
Rugua. 

353.  RUSCOCUNKS:   a   creek  east    of   Mastic 
Neck,  town  of  Brookhaven:  so-named  in  a  deed 
from  William  Smith  to  John  Wood,  dated  Dec.  20, 
1693.     (Copy   by   O.    B.    Ackerly,    Esq.)     This 
name  is  of  the  same  derivation  as  Areshunk  of 
which  it  is  a  variation.     See  Areshunk. 

354.  RUSKATUX:    neck    of   land    at    Seaford, 
Queen's    Co.,    sometimes    known    as    Seaman's 


218  Indian  Place-Names 

Neck.  "More  than  1500  acres  lying  east  of  the 
Indian  purchase  and  the  Gov.  Kieft  patent,  in- 
cluded all  the  meadows  and  uplands  of  Ruskatux 
Neck"  (Munsell's  Hist.  Queen's  Co.}.  Ruskatux 
corresponds  to  the  Mohegan  Muxguataug;  Narra- 
gansett,  Muskechoge,  "rushes,"  "place  of  rushes"; 
or  Mukkosqut,  "meadow,"  from  the  same  root. 
In  Massachusetts  a  parallel  would  be  Moskeht-auk, 
"grass  land,"  from  moskehtu  (Eliot),  "grass," 
"hay";  -auke,  "land." 

355.  SABONACK:  see  Seponack  and  Seabamuck. 

356.  SACHAPONOCK:  "large  pond  in  town  of 
Brookhaven"  (De  Kay's  Indian  Names}.     Prob- 
ably a  mistake  for  "Sagg  pond,"  at  Sagaponack, 
Southampton  town,  no  pond  of  that  name  being 
located  in  Brookhaven.     See  Sagaponack. 

357.  SACHEM'S  HOLE:  a  locality  formerly  ex- 
isting near  the  fourth  mile  stone  from  Sag  Harbor, 
now  obliterated  by  the  turnpike  to  East  Hampton, 
where  the  bearers  of  the  body  of  the  Sachem  of 
Shelter  Island  rested  in  1651.     See  various  histo- 
ries of  Long  Island. 

358.  SACHEM'S  HOUSE:  so  designated  in  1650, 
as  the  residence  of  the  Sachem  of  Shinnecock. 

359.  SACHEM'S  NECK:  the  estate  of  the  late 
Dr.  S.   B.   Nicoll,   on  Shelter  Island,  has  been 


On  Long;  Island  219 

known  from  an  early  period  as  Sachem's  Neck. 
It  did  not  take  its  name  from  the  local  Sachem,  as 
supposed  by  some,  but  from  another  of  whom  we 
have  the  following  record:  "Oct.  16,  1675,  Am- 
busco  late  Sachem  of  South-hold  hath  liberty  to 
remove  w'h  his  family  to  Shelter  Island  to  abide 
there  with  Mr.  Sylvester's  permission  but  no 
others  to  be  admitted  to  come  on,  or  to  follow 
him,  wthout  particular  leave"  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y., 
vol.  xii.,  p.  703).  The  word  Sachem  corresponds 
to  Narragansett  Sachimau;  Delaware  Sagkimau; 
Abnaki  Sangma";  Chippewa  Sakima,  "he  is 
chief."  It  is  from  the  same  root  as  the  Massa- 
chusetts Sonkqhuau,  "he  prevails  over,  has  the 
mastery  of. "  See  Sagamore. 

360.  SACKHICKNEYAH  :  creek  in  the  northern 
part  of  Newtown,  Queen's  Co.,  near  Fish's  Point. 
It  rises  in  "Trains  meadow"   and  empties  into 
Flushing  Bay.      Is  named   in  the   deed  of   1666: 
"certain  creek  called  Sackhickneyah,  where  Wes- 
sel's  mill  stood"  (Riker's  Annals  of  Newtown,  p. 
172).     This  name  seems  to  have  an  Iroquoian 
appearance,  but  for  all  that  it  is  probably  Algon- 
kian,   corresponding  to  the  Delaware,  schajahik- 
aney,     "the     shore     path,"     from     schajahikan, 
"sea  shore";  aney,  "road,"  "path." 

361.  SACUT:   a   pond   at   Lakeville  in   North 
Hempstead,    Queen's    Co.     Formerly   known   as 


22O  Indian  Place-Names 

Success  Pond.  It  was  called  by  the  Indians 
Sacut  which  by  a  simple  deflection  in  sound  might 
have  been  changed  to  Success  (Thompson,  vol. 
ii.,  p.  60).  "  The  pond  is  about  500  rods  in  circum- 
ference surrounded  on  all  sides  by  sloping  banks 
which  are  covered  by  verdure  to  the  water's  edge 
and  undulate  with  the  adjacent  country.  It  had 
formerly  a  natural  outlet  to  the  northwest  through 
which  its  surplus  waters  were  discharged,  it  now 
rarely  overflows"  (Prime's  L.  I.,  p.  28).  The  name 
Sacut  signifies,  "at  the  outlet,"  the  components 
being  sac  ( =  sauk)  "an  outlet  of  a  pond, "  "a  stream 
flowing  out  of  a  pond  or  lake";  and  the  locative 
affix  -ut,  "at,"  "near,"  "by,"  etc.  Saco  in 
Maine  is  another  form  of  the  word. — The  Long 
Island  Sacut  is  the  equivalent  of  the  Delaware 
(Brinton  and  Anthony)  sakuwit,  "mouth  of  a 
creek,  mouth  of  a  river"  (A.  F.  c.). 

362.  SAGAMORE  HILL:  residence  of  ex-Presi- 
dent Roosevelt  at  Oyster  Bay.  Colonel  Roosevelt 
writes  me:  "Sagamore  Hill  is,  in  a  sense,  my 
own  bestowal,  or,  more  properly,  revival.  There 
was  an  old  Indian  named,  as  tradition  asserts, 
Mohannis,  who  lived  in  the  cove  here,  and  who 
was  sometimes  spoken  of  as  'Chief  or  'Sagamore,1 
and  among  the  traditions  is  that  both  the  cove 
and  this  high  promontory  were  called  sometimes 
'Mohannis  Cove1  and  'Mohannis  Hill,'  and  some- 
times 'Sagamore  Cove'  and  'Sagamore  Hill.'  When 


On  Long£  Island  221 

I  was  young  this  was  told  me  by  an  old  Bay-man, 
Jake  Valentine."  The  term  Sagamore  is  seldom 
used  by  the  Long  Island  Indians;  when  it  is  used 
it  generally  proceeds  from  the  mouth  of  a  Montauk 
as  follows:  "Assawkin  the  Sagamore  of  Oyster 
Bay"  (Smithtown  Rec.,  p.  16,  1866).  Saga- 
more has  been  corrupted  from  Abnaki  sa"gmaM, 
"chief,"  or  from  the  corresponding  term  seen 
in  Passamaquoddy  sogmo.  See  Sachem. 

363.  SAGAPONACK,  Sagabonock:  a  tract  of 
land  in  the  eastern  part  of  Southampton  town. 
The  locality  was  known  for  many  years  as  "  Sagg. " 
In  1889  the  name  of  the  post-office  "Sagg"  was 
changed  to  Sagaponack.  The  name  was  also 
bestowed  upon  the  pond  at  the  south  adjoining 
the  ocean.  A  place  called  "Sag  Swamp"  was 
known  in  1712,  and  was  the  large  one  into  which 
Poxaboug  pond  opens.  Sag  Harbor  directly  north 
derives  its  name  from  the  same,  having  been 
known  in  its  early  days  as  the  "Harbor  of  Sagg, " 
or  "Sagg  Harbor. "  The  locality  is  first  referred 
to  in  an  order  and  reward  for  killing  wolves  in 
1651,  viz.:  "  Hee  the  said  Robert  Merwin  have 
notice  thereof  that  he  repaire  unto  the  place  where 
the  sd  beaste  is  slaine,  whether  at  Meacocks  or 
Sagaponack  or  elsewhere"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  82). 
Variations  are:  Sagaponack,  1652;  "Division  of 
land  called  Sagaponach,"  1653;  Sackaponock, 
1661;  Saggaponack,  1696;  Sagabunnuck,  1713; 


222  Indian  Place-Names 

Sagabonock,  1735;  Sagabonnac,  1750,  etc.  The 
name  was  interpreted  as  "  Saggapenack,  'a  place 
where  big  ground  nuts  grow,'  "  by  W.  S.  Pelle- 
treau  in  1883.  This  derivation  he  obtained  from 
Dr.  J.  Hammond  Trumbull,  who  says: — "Saga- 
bonock, in  Bridgehampton  parish,  Southampton, 
has  left  only  the  remnant  of  its  name  to  Sagg 
Pond  and  Sag  Harbor."  "The  great  pond,  com- 
monly called  Sackaponock"  is  mentioned,  1661, 
in  Conn.  Col.  Records,  I,  p.  368.  "The  sagabon 
(Micmac  segubun)  is  a  ground  nut  or  Indian 
potato"  (Rand).  That  is,  I  suppose,  the  Apios 
tuber  osa.  "At  a  general  court  (in  Southamp- 
ton) held  Mch.  6,  1654:  It  is  ordered  that  noe 
Indians  shall  digg  for  ground  nuts  in  the  plain, 
or  digg  in  any  ground,  uppon  penalty  of  sitting 
in  the  stocks,"  etc.  (Records  in  Thompson's 
L.  I.;  Mag.  of  Amer.  Hist.,  1878,  vol.  i.,  pp. 
386-7). 

The  prefix  which  denotes  the  species  cannot  in 
all  cases  be  identified,  but  the  generic  name  with 
its  localizing  affix  is  easily  recognizable.  Not 
long  since,  while  in  conversation  with  an  in- 
telligent Chippewa  Indian  in  regard  to  this  parti- 
cular prefix,  he  informed  me  that  it  denoted  a 
species  which  was  "hard  or  difficult  to  get  out 
of  the  ground. "  While  the  Massachusetts  siogkke 
"hard  or  difficult"  may  resemble  the  Long  Island 
sagga  (or  sacka)  in  sound,  I  am  inclined  to  believe 
he  was  mistaken,  and  that  the  Long  Island  sagga 


On  Long  Island  (223 

is  the  parallel  of  the  Cree  suggee,  "  thick,  close  to- 
gether," a  derivation  that  fully  describes  the 
tubers  of  the  Apios  tuberosa,  which  grow  close 
together,  strung  in  clusters  on  a  fibrous  root.  It 
was  probably  the  same  plant  discovered  by  Cap- 
tain Gosnold  on  one  of  the  Elizabeth  isles,  on  his 
visit  to  the  New  England  coast  in  1602,  which 
John  Brierton,  one  of  the  voyagers,  describes  as 
"ground  nuts  as  big  as  egges,  as  good  as  Potatoes, 
and  40  on  a  string,  not  two  ynches  vnder  ground. " 
See  Acabonack,  Seponack,  and  Ketchaponack. 

364.  SAGG  :  see  Sagaponack. 

365.  SAG  HARBOR:   see  Sagaponack. 

366.  SAGHTEKOOS  :  a  neck  of  land  in  the  town 
of    Islip,    now    known    as    "Appletree    Neck." 
"Sept.  26,  1692,  Gov.  Fletcher  granted  to  Stephen 
Van  Cortland  a  license  to  purchase  Saghtekoos 
of  the  native  Indians."      On  June  2,   1697,  Gov. 
Fletcher  granted    a   patent   to   the   same   for   a 
neck  of  land  called  and  known  by  the  Indian  name 
of  Saghtekoos  and  by  the  Christians  called  Apple- 
tree  neck,  being  bounded  on  the  west  by  Oake 
Neck  Brook  to  an  Indian  foot  path,  and  on  the 
north  by  the  foot  path  to  Saghtekoos  Creek,  and 
easterly  by  the  said  Saghtekoos  creek"  (Munsell's 
Hist.  S.  C.,  Islip).     Variations  are:  Sagtakos,  Sat- 
tock's,  Saghtecoos.     Saghtekoos  was  probably  the 


224  Indian  Place-Names 

name  of  the  Indian  owner  or  dweller  on  the  neck. 
This  is  proven  by  the  mark  of  the  possessive 
Saghtekoo's.  The  name  is  probably  the  equivalent 
of  the  Massachusetts  (Eliot)  sese'koo,  "he  peeped 
(as  a  bird),"  used  by  Eliot  for  the  viper,  "an 
adder,"  etc.;  or  any  snake  that  "hisses";  Mic- 
mac  (Rand)  'mtdkoo-on,  "a snake";  Narragansett 
sesek,  "  a  rattlesnake. " 

367.  SAMPAWAMS:  see  Sumpawams. 

368.  SANTAPOGUE:  a  neck  of  land  in  the  town 
of  Babylon,  south  of  the  settlement  of  Breslau. 
One  of  the  five  necks  of  meadow  bought  in  1659. 
It  is  first  mentioned  by  name  in  a  deed  of  1669; 
viz. :     "My  alottment  of  meadow  Lying  and  Being 
on  the  south  side  of  the  Island  on  a  neck  called 
Santtapauge  "    (H.  R.,  vol.  i.,   p.  134).     Variants 
are:  Santapauge,    1669;  Santepaug,  1672;  Santa- 
pauge,  1683;  Santepogue,  1716,  etc.     This  name  is 
probably    the  equivalent    of    the  Massachusetts 
(Eliot)   sonkipog,    "cool  spring,"   "cool  water," 
"a  cup  of  cool  water"  (Matt,  x.,  42;  Mark,  ix.,  41); 
Narragansett     (Williams)     saun-kopaugot,    "cool 
water,"  literally,  water  when  it  is  cold.     Thus 
we  have  santape-auke,  "a  place  of  cool  water," 
so-called  from  some  fine  spring  of  cold  water  on  the 
neck  to  which  the  Indians  resorted.     The  com- 
ponents of  the  word  would  then  be  santa  ( =  Massa- 


On  Long'  Island  225 

chusetts  sonkqm),  "cool";   -pe,  "water";   -auke, 
"place." 

369.  SAPHORACKAM:  a  locality  in  the  southern 
part   of   Brooklyn.     So-named   in    a   patent   for 
land  granted  by  Gov.  Kieft,  Nov.  28,  1639,  viz.: 
"We  have  granted  to  Thomas  Bescher,  tobaco 
planter  a  certainn  peice  of  land,  situate  upon  the 
Long  Island  strand  of  the  North  river  bay  near 
Saphorakam. "   Also  Saphorackan  (Col.  Hist.  N.  F., 
vol.  xiv.,  p.  27).     On  Manhattan  the  name  occurs 
as  Sappokanican   and  Sapokanikan,  1648.     This 
name  probably  denotes  a  "Tobacco  plantation," 
one    planted  either  by   the   Dutch   or  Indians; 
from  sappo  =  uppo  (Powhatan) ,  uhpoo  (Massachu- 
setts),   "tobacco";    hakihakan,    "a   plantation," 
"land  broken  up  for  cultivation. "     Josselyn  says, 
"the  Indians  use  a  small  round-leaved  tobacco 
called  by  them  or  the  Fishermen  Poke. "     This  was 
probably  Nicotiana  rustica,  well-known  to  have 
been   long   in   cultivation   among   the   American 
savages.      See    also  Algonguian   Series,   vol.    ii., 
pp.  43-46. 

370.  SASSIANS:  a  locality  in  Brooklyn,  King's 
Co.     Mentioned    in    1642,    when     "Wm.    Kieft 
granted  to  Jan  Maye  a  peice  of  land  one  hundred 
and    twenty  rods   towards   the   woods,    towards 
Sassians  maize  land"  (Furman's  Antiq.  of  L.I. ,  p. 
281).     Sassian    was   probably    the    Indian    who 

IS 


226  Indian  Place-Names 

planted  the  "maize"  and  here  was  located  his  corn 
field  and  home.  Sassian  signifies  "the  sower," 
"the planter, "  corresponding  to  the  Massachusetts 
seseahham,  Delaware  sasehemen  "  to  scatter,"  "to 
sow";  Chippewa  saswenan,  "scatter";  Micmac 
sasodoo,  "to  scatter,"  etc. 

371.  SAUGUST:  a  neck  of  land  lying  at  the  east 
end  of  the  village  of  Southold  fronting  the  harbor 
on  the  south,  with  a  creek  on  its  east  side  and 
another  on  the  west.  The  greater  part  of  the 
neck  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Stuart  T.  Terry, 
Esq.,  who  resides  upon  it.  This  name  is  first 
recorded  in  an  entry  of  1656,  viz. :  "Tenn  acres  of 
earable  and  wood  land,  more  or  lesse  lying  and 
being  in  Saugust  neck — the  land  of  James  Haynes 
lately  deceased  being  on  the  west  side  thereof 
and  John  Conckelyne  Senr.  on  the  east."  John 
Conklyne,  1662,  "sells  to  Thomas  Hutchinson 
sometime  of  Lynn  in  the  Massachusetts  Bay — all 
that  p'cell  of  land  adjoining  to  the  west  side  of 
the  field  fence,  containing  about  thirty  acres  in 
Saugust  neck"  (S.  R.,  vol.  i.,  pp.  31,  221). 
Mr.  Stuart  R.  Terry  writes:  "Traditionally, 
Saugust  was  the  name  of  its  Indian  owner." 
Often  tradition  is  at  fault  and  cannot  be  depended 
upon;  it  seems  to  be  so  in  this  case.  Many  of  the 
settlers  of  both  Southold  and  Southampton  were 
from  Lynn,  Mass.,  even  the  above  entry  of  1662, 
names  the  buyer  as  ' '  sometime  of  Lynn. ' '  Saugus 


On  Long  Island  227 

was  the  name  of  a  river  at  Lynn;  Montowampate 
was  the  Sachem  of  Saugus  near  Lynn  in  1633. 
Lynn  was  called  Saugust  (at Saugus)  up  to  1637, 
when  it  was  changed  by  vote  to  "Lin"  (Mass.  Col. 
Rec.,  pp.  628,  641).  That  locality  was  probably 
familiar  to  Hutchinson  and  others  so  they  transfer- 
red the  name  to  their  Long  Island  home.  The  name 
seems  to  be  one  of  the  many  dialectic  forms  de- 
rived from  sank,  "an  outlet"  (of  river  or  brook), 
the  variations  being  almost  innumerable.  Sau- 
gust =  saugus-ut,  "at  the  mouth  of  a  tidal  river." 
With  this  may  be  compared  Saugatuck  in  Con- 
necticut (Trumbull). 

372.  SAWGOGE:   mentioned   as   a   locality   in 
Smithtown  by  a  mistake  of  De  Kay  in  his  Indian 
Names.     He  derives  his  authority  probably  from 
Thompson  (vol.  i.,  p.  436)  who  quotes  a  Rhode 
Island  Indian  deed  on  the  supposition  that  the 
Richard  Smith  of  Rhode  Island  was  the  same  one 
who  settled  Smithtown.     Sawgogue  and  Paquina- 
paquogue  meadows,  near  Wickford,  R.  I.,  men- 
tioned in  Coquinoquand1  s  lease  to  Richard  Smith 
are  referred   to   in   Parsons 's   Indian  Names  in 
Rhode  Island. 

373.  SCOQUAMS:  a  neck  of  land  and  a  small 
creek  in  Islip  town,  east  of  Babylon  village.     The 
neck  is  now  termed  Schookwames .     In  a  deed  of 
1740    from    Nath.   Weeks    to   John    Rogers   the 


228  Indian  Place-Names 

neck  is  called  Scoquams:  "The  western  bounds 
of  the  town  is  Sampowams  River.  Next  to  the  east 
there  is  a  small  creek  called  Scoquams"  (Munsell's 
S.  C.,  Islip).  Variations  are:  Sequams,  Sco- 
quaumes,  Schookwames.  It  has  been  traditionally 
known  as  the  "Snake  place,"  but  I  regard  it  as 
the  personal  name  of  an  Indian  who  formerly 
lived  there,  and  that  his  name  denotes  "the 
spring,"  or  "early  summer"  corresponding  to 
Massachusetts  (Eliot)  sequan;  Narragansettsequan; 
Abnaki  sigoon;  Cree,  sekwun;  Micmac  seg®nook; 
Delaware  siguon,  "the  spring,"  "summer."  A 
Shinnecock  Indian  called  Sequanah,  "the  spring," 
made  an  agreement  to  try  out  whale  blubber  in 
1680  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  80).  A  Secatogue 
Indian  Sachem  had  the  same  name,  viz. :  Sewamas, 
in  1698,  afterwards  corrupted  to  "Wameas. " 


374.  SCRECUNKAS:  an  Island  in  the  Great 
South  Bay,  now  known  as  Cedar  Island,  Babylon 
town.  The  Indian  deed  of  1689  says:  "A 
certaine  Island  of  meadowe  lying  between  ye 
south  medows  and  ye  beach  called  by  us  Screcunkas 
— all  the  meddowe  lying  westward  of  Pascu-ucks 
(the  creek)  of  the  sd  Island  Screcunkas11  (H.  R., 
vol.  ii.,  p.  48).  Variations  are:  Sucrunkas,  Su- 
crumkas,  Sesecunhas,  1816.  Possibly  the  name 
is  the  equivalent  of  the  Delaware  sikunikan, 
' l  scourgrass , "  "  rushes . ' ' 


On  Long  Island  229 

374  a.  SCURRAWAY  :  the  Indian  name  of  Josiah's 
Neck,  Babylon  town  east  of  the  village  of  Amity- 
ville.  One  of  the  three  necks  of  land  purchased  in 
1658,  but  not  named  in  the  records.  It  is  first 
noted  by  this  name  in  1697,  thirty-nine  years 
after  the  first  purchase  of  the  meadows,  viz.: 
"a  certain  neck  of  land  lying  on  ye  south  side 
this  Island  within  bounds  of  Huntington,  called 
by  ye  Indians  Scuraway  and  by  ye  English  Josiah's 
neck"  (H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  205).  Variations  are: 
Seascawany,  i6^8',Scurrawaugh,  1885.  This  name 
signifies  probably  "snake  place,"  and  is  the  same 
as  Scucurra  or  "snake  hill"  in  Connecticut,  of 
which  Trumbull  says:  " scuc  is  probably  Mohe- 
gan  skooks;  Narragansett,  askug;  Delaware  ach- 
gook,  "snake."  Or  it  may  have  been  the  name 
of  an  Indian  living  there,  called  "the  snake." 

375.  SEABAMUCK:  one  of  the  lesser  necks  of 
land  into  which  the  Manor  of  St.  George,  Mastic, 
Brookhaven  town,  is  divided.  The  first  neck  east 
of  the  Connecticut  or  Carman's  river,  at  its  mouth. 
The  most  common  and  modern  form  of  the  name, 
Sebonack,  appears  also  as  a  variation  of  Seponack 
Neck,  Southampton  town.  J.  Hammond  Trum- 
bull considers  them  alike  in  derivation;  this  may 
be  so,  but  the  earliest  form  Seabamuck  or  Seba- 
muck  shows  that  they  are  not  identical.  A  record 
of  1675,  says:  "Francis  Muncy  before  he  died 
exchanged  his  medow  in  the  ould  purchase  with 


230  Indian  Place-Names 

Samuel  Daiton,  for  his  lott  of  medow  at  Seaba- 
muck  in  the  nue  purchase  "  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  35). 
August  Graham's  Draught  of  land,  surveyed  for 
Wm.  Smith  in  1693,  has  it  Sebamuck  (Land 
Papers,  vol.  ii.,  p.  207,  Office  Sec'y  of  State,  Albany, 
N.  Y.).  Later  variations  are:  Seboinack,  1767; 
Sebonnack,  1767;  Sabonack,  1888.  The  name  is 
to  be  interpreted  as  Seab-amuck,  "the  river 
fishing-place"  (at  the  mouth  of  the  East  Connecti- 
cut River).  The  components  are:  scab- (Massa- 
chusetts seip,  Unkechaug  sebus),  "a  river"; 
-amuck,  "a  fishing-place." 

376.  SEAPOOSE:  the  inlets  that  are  opened  in 
the  beaches  on  the  southside  in  the  towns  of  East 
Hampton  and  Southampton,  in  order  that  the  ocean 
may  flow  into  the  various  ponds  and  bays,  or  vice 
versa,  are  still  at  this  day  known  as  the  "  Seapoose." 
As  found  in  the  Southampton  records  it  always 
refers  to  the  inlet  connecting  Meacox  Bay  with 
the  ocean.  It  is  opened  by  digging,  but  it  soon 
closes  again.  In  a  record  of  1650  we  find: 
"Ten  men  [named]  are  to  have  for  their paines  35. 
per  day  at  the  seapoose"  Towyn  Meeting,  1652: 
"  Isaack  Willman  in  a  passionate  manner  said  that 
some  of  them  that  voated  for  raising  of  the  mill 
knew  noe  more  what  belonged  to  the  sepoose 
than  a  dogg,  he  hath  given  satisfaction"  (S.  H.  R., 
vol.  i.,  pp.  69,  85).  Variations  are:  Sepose,  1654; 
Sea-poose,  1684.  The  name  Seapoose  signifies 


On  Long'  Island  231 

a  "  little  river, "  being  the  parallel  of  the  Narra- 
gansett  (Williams)  sepoese,  "little  river."  The 
name  is  also  applied  in  recent  times  to  the  "under- 
tow" of  the  ocean  both  on  Long  Island  and  in  New 
Jersey,  where  it  takes  the  form  of  "Sea-puss. " 

377.  SEATQUAA:  a  neck  of  land,  Hempstead 
town,  Queen's  Co.    "  Jany.  27, 1794,  Thos.  Cardale 
&  Co.  petition  for  two  necks  of  land  lying  east- 
ward of  the  town  of  Hempstead  called  by  the 
Indians   Rockaway  and  Seatquaa,  with  the  out- 
lands  thereunto  belonging"  (Cal.  of  Land  Papers 
in  Office  of  Sec'y  of  State,  pp.  69,  70).     The  name 
Seatquaa  is  to  be  interpreted  as  Sea-tukq-auke, 
"land  at  mouth  of  a  creek."     The  components 
would  be  sea-  representing  an  Algonkian  sak  or 
saki,  "mouth  of  a  river";  -tukq,  "tidal  stream"; 
-auke,  "land."     See  Seatuck. 

378.  SEATUCK:  creek  or  river  on  the  boundary 
between  the  towns  of  Southampton  and  Brook- 
haven  at  Eastport.     Mentioned  frequently  as  the 
western   bound   of   Southampton.     First   in   the 
Topping  Indian  deed  of  1662,  viz.:    "That  is  to 
say  to  begin  at  the  Canoe  Place  otherwise  Nia- 
muck  and  so  to  run  westerly  to  a  place  called  and 
known    by   the   name   of    Seatuck"    (S.    H.    R., 
vol.   i.,   p.  1 68).     Variations   are:  Seatuck,  1666; 
Setuckett,    1693;   Setuk,    1748;   Setuck,    1790,   etc. 
The  name  Seatuck  denotes  "the  mouth  of  a  river 


232  Indian  Place-Names 

or  tidal  creek."  Setuck  would  be  derived  from 
sea-,  representing  an  Algonkian  sak  or  saki, 
''mouth  of  a  river";  -tuck,  "tidal  stream." 
Setuckett  is  the  same  word  with  the  locative 
-et,  "at. "  See  Seatquaa. 

379.  SEAWANHACKY,  Sewanhaka:  a  name  of 
Long  Island  found  recorded  in  the  documents 
relating  to  the  purchases  by  the  Dutch  from  the 
Indians  at  the  period  of  settlement.  It  is  not 
found  in  the  early  records  relating  to  the  eastern 
part  of  the  Island  as  far  as  careful  search  reveals. 
It  is  found  first  recorded  in  three  Indian  deeds, 
two  dated  June  16,  1636,  the  other  July  i6th,  same 
year,  for  meadows  at  what  is  now  Flatlands, 
King's  Co.,  viz.:  "Situate  on  the  island  called 
by  them  Sewanhacky,  also  Sewanhacking"  Varia- 
tions are:  Suanhacky,  1639;  various  histories  of 
Long  Island,  Seawanhacky,  and  Sewanhaka.  The 
prefix  sewan  or  seawan  was  one  of  the  names  for 
"wampum"  the  "shell-money"  of  the  Indians. 
It  was  known  in  New  England  as  Wampumpeag, 
Wampompege,  Wompam  and  Wampum;  the  Dutch 
knew  it  as  seawan,  sewant;  while  on  the  Virginia 
coast  it  was  called  peak,  a  roughly  made  discoidal 
variety  being  known  as  ronoak  or  roenoke,  and 
heavy  flattish  beads  pierced  edgeways  were 
called  runtees.  The  Dutch  Governor  Kieft  fixed 
by  placard  the  price  of  the  "good  splendid  sewant 
of  Manhattan,"  at  "four  for  a  stuyver. "  It  is 


On  Long'  Island  233 

mentioned  as  early  as  1622  when  a  "Dutchman 
imprisoned  one  of  the  chiefs  on  his  vessel  and 
obliged  him  to  pay  a  ransom  of  one  hundred  and 
forty  fathoms  of  Zeewan,  which  consists  of  small 
beads  they  manufacture  themselves  and  prize 
as  jewels"  (Doc.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  45). 
Trumbull,  in  the  Narragansett  Club  Reprint  of 
Roger  Williams's  Key,  gives  the  following  as  the 
real  meaning  of  sewan:  "  Seahwhoog,  'they  are 
scattered'  (Eliot).  From  this  word  the  Dutch 
traders  gave  the  name  of  sewand  or  zeewand  (the 
participle  seahwhoun,  'scattered,'  'loose'),  to  all 
shell  money  just  as  the  English  called  all  peage,  or 
'string  beads'  by  the  name  of  white  or  wampum." 
The  seawan  was  manufactured  most  abundantly 
and  in  considerable  variety  on  Long  Island,  the 
shore  of  which  abounded  in  shells  and  was  called 
for  this  reason  Sewan-hacky,  or  the  "Island  of 
Shells."  The  immense  quantity  that  was  manu- 
factured accounts  for  the  fact  that  in  the  most 
extensive  shell-banks  left  by  the  Indians  it  is  rare 
to  find  a  whole  shell  (Thompson,  vol.  i.,  p.  87). 
This  signification,  which  is  the  traditional,  is  not 
quite  right.  The  terminal  affix  corresponds  to  the 
Delaware -hacky  or  -hacking,  "land"  or  "country" 
and  not  the  Narragansett  hoghk,  "a  shell, "  literally 
a  '  'covering. ' '  Sewan-hacky  therefore  signifies  ' '  the 
sewan  country. ' '  Eliot  would  have  written  it  Seah- 
who'un-auke.  See  the  discussion  of  the  name  Sea- 
wanhacky  in  Algonquian  Series,  vol.  iv.,  pp.  19-26. 


234  Indian  Place-Names 

380.  SECATOGUE:  neck  of  land  in  the  town  of 
Islip  and  the  locality  from  which  one  of  the  Island 
tribes   derives  its   name.     It  is  mentioned  in  the 
Dutch  archives  as  early  as  1639   (see  Sicketen- 
whacky).     In  1657,  a  Dutch  vessel  was  wrecked 
on  the  "South  Beach"  at  a  place  called  "Secou- 
tagh."     The  same  year  "Keeosschok,  the  Sachem 
of  Secontok,  has  Resigned  up  all  that  Right  or 
Interest  hee  might  anyways  lay  unto  the  necks 
of  meadow"   (H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.   n).     Variations 
are:  Seguctatig,  1657;  Seaquetauke,  1659;  Secatake, 
1670;  Secutaug,  1696;  Seaqutogue,  1697;  Sequatak, 
1698;  Sicketauge,  1807;  modernly,  Secatogue  and 
Sequatogue.     From    the    uniformity    this    name 
presents  on  being  compared  with  twenty  or  thirty 
variations  in  spelling,  as  they  occur  in  the  early 
records,  it  is  evidently  the  parallel  of  the  Narra- 
gansett    (Williams)    seqid    or     sucki,     "black," 
"dark  colored,"  with  the  locative  suffix   -auke, 
"land."     Secatogue   represents    thus    Sequt-auke, 
"black  or  dark  colored  land,"  and  the  name  be- 
longed originally  to  the  extensive  meadows  that 
border  the  upland.     The  meadows  are  now  known 
as  the  "Black  Grass  Meadows."     Compare  the 
name  of  Suckiauke  or  Sicaiog  meadows  at  Hartford, 
Conn. 

381.  SELASACOTT:  "township  of  Brookhaven " 
(De  Kay's  Indian  Names,  1851).     See  Setauket. 

382.  SENEX:  creek  at  Centre  Moriches,  Brook- 


235 


haven  town.  "  Senekes  or  Senex  River  or  Creek 
is  that  water  which  comes  nearly  to  the  business 
part  of  Centre  Moriches,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
main  avenue  leading  to  the  bay"  (Munsell's  5.  C., 
Brookhaven).  The  survey  and  map  drawn  by 
Aug.  Graham,  Sept.  10,  1693,  give  Sinnekes 
point  and  creek  nearly  at  the  mouth  of  Mastic 
River  on  the  east.  Fletcher's  Patent,  Manor  of 
St.  George,  1693,  has,  "Bounded  easterward  from 
ye  maine  sea  to  a  river  or  creek  called  Senekes 
River"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  79).  Seretches,  1714; 
Senekees,  1790;  Senex,  1882.  Sinnekes  was  prob- 
ably an  Indian  who  lived  at  one  time  on  the  point 
or  at  the  creek.  The  name  may  be  related  to  the 
Massachusetts  (Eliot)  assinnekousse,  "a  thorn," 
"a  bush."  With  Senex  in  Long  Island  may  be 
compared  Senexet,  Senexsett,  valley  and  meadow 
in  Windham  Co.,  Conn. 

383.  SEPONACK,  Sabonac:  a  neck  of  land  at 
Southampton,  on  Peconic  Bay.  A  farming  local- 
ity in  close  proximity  is  also  called  by  the  same 
name,  and  is  probably  what  was  called  the  "  Sea- 
ponack  old  ground."  An  order  dated  1652  says: 
"Thomas  Halsey  Sr.  and  his  partner  shall  lay  out 
Sagaponack  and  Seponack  mowing  ground  for  a 
present  supply  of  the  Inhabitants  of  this  towne 
for  this  year"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  87).  Varia- 
tions are:  Seponack  1651;  Seaponack,  1654;  Sebon- 
ack,  1659;  Sabonac,  1873,  etc.  The  etymology  of 


236  Indian  Place-Names 

Seponack  was  given  as  "ground  nut  place"  by 
Wm.  S.  Pelletreau  in  1883.  Dr.  J.  H.  Trumbull 
says:  " Sebonack,  Seaponack,  a  neck,  on  Peconic 
Bay,  Southampton  was  a  'large  ground-nut 
place.'  Sebon  or  sepen  (Abnaki  sipen;  modern 
Penobscot,  she-pen;  Micmac,  shuburi)  is  the  root 
of  the  Yellow  Lily  (L.  canadensis) .  Thoreau's 
Indian  guide  told  him  that  these  roots  were  good 
for  soup,  that  is,  to  cook  with  meat  to  thicken  it, 
and  showed  him  how  to  prepare  them  (Maine 
Woods,  pp.  194,  284,  326).  Sabonac  point,  near 
Mastic,  Brookhaven,  has  the  same  name  differ- 
ently spelled.  .  .  .  The  tuberous  rhizoma  of  the 
Yellow  Nelumbo  or  Water  Chinquapin  (Nelum- 
bium  luteum)  was  highly  prized  by  the  western 
Algonkins.  It  resembles  the  sweet  potato,  and 
Dr.  Torrey  says  (Botany  of  New  York,  vol.  i.,  p.  38) 
that  'when  fully  ripe,  it  becomes,  after  considerable 
boiling,  as  farinaceous,  agreeable,  and  wholesome 
as  the  potato.'  The  Chippewas  call  it  mako-pin 
(for  makwa-piri),  i.  e.,  'bear's  potato';  from  which 
comes  the  name  of  Macoupin  County,  Illinois" 
(Mag.  Amer.  Hist.,  vol.  i.,  pp.  386-7,  1877). 
In  the  lease  of  Shinnecock  Hills,  which  included 
the  above  tract,  1703,  we  find:  "We  the  trustees 
—do  hereby  grant  liberty  to  them  and  theirs,  to 
cut  flags,  Bull-rushes  and  such  grass  as  they 
usually  make  their  mats  and  houses  of,  and  to  dig 
ground-nuts,  mowing  land  excepted  anywhere  in 
bounds  of  Southampton"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  iii.,  p. 


On  Long;  Island  237 

373).  Seponack  is  therefore  derived  from  sepon 
(Abnaki  sipen),  "ground-nut";  -ack,  "place." 
See  Ketchaponack,  Sagaponack. 

384.  SETAUKET:  a  village  in  the  northwestern 
corner  of  Brookhaven  and  the  locality  where  the 
first  settlement  of  the  town  was  begun.  The 
Indian  deed  April  14,  1665  gives:  "Articles  of 
agreement,  and  a  firme  bargaine  agreed  and 
confirmed  between  the  Sachem  of  Setaucet,  Wara- 
wakmy  by  name"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  i).  Varia- 
tions are:  Seatauke,  1657;  Setokett,  1660;  Setawke, 
1664;  Setauk,  1669;  Setaket,  1675;  Seataukett,  1670; 
Setalcott,  1 68 1.  In  the  various  town  patents  it 
also  appears  as  Setaulcott,  Selasacott,  and  in  1643 
we  find  the  Dutch  notation  Sichteyhacky.  Wm.  S. 
Pelletreau  in  his  paper  on  Long  Island  Names, 
says:  " Setauket,  in  its  original  form  seems  to 
mean  'land  between  the  streams/  the  same  name 
being  found  in  New  England."  But  the  New 
England  form  Shetucket  is  entirely  different,  and 
our  Setauket  requires  a  different  translation.  It 
designated  the  "land  at  the  mouth  of  the  creek," 
at  this  place  where  Warawakmy  had  his  village 
at  the  era  of  settlement.  The  stream  was  the 
site  of  a  mill  in  1690.  Thompson  (L.  I.,  1843) 
says:  "Where  was  then  a  mill-pond  is  now  a  tract 
of  salt  meadows."  Setauk-et  thus  signifies  "land 
at  the  river,"  or  "land  at  the  mouth  of  a  river  or 
creek,"  from  an  original  Setukqut.  Compare  the 


238  Indian  Place-Names 

various  forms  of  the  Delaware  Sacuwit,  Sacunk, 
Sacona,  and  Saquik,  denoting  "the  mouth  of  a 
river";  Chippewa  (Baraga)  Saging,  "mouth  of  a 
river";  Cree  (Lacombe)  Sakittawaw,  "mouth 
of  a  river. "  See  Seatuck. 

385.  SHAGWONG:  a  hill,  point  of  land,  and  a 
reef  of  rocks  on  the  northeastern  part  of  Montauk, 
in   the  "Indian  Fields."     Variations  are:   Shag- 
wagonock,   Shagwannock,   Shaugwong,  Shagawom, 
Shagwommonock,     Shagwanack      (various     maps 
and  histories  of  Long  Island).     The  name  is  not 
found  in  the  town  records  nor  in  any  of  the  Indian 
deeds.     Not  having  any  early  forms  of  the  above 
to  guide  us  it  is  difficult  to  tell  its  derivation.     It 
seems   to   be   the   equivalent    of   the    Delaware 
(Zeisberger)  schajawonge,  "on  the  side  of  a  hill," 
with  the  locative,  "place  on  the  side  of  a  hill." 
The  Indian  huts  until  a  few  years  ago  were  located 
on  the  side  of  this  hill. 

386.  SHAHCHIPPITCHAGE  :  a  bound -mark  in  the 
"North  Neck,"  Montauk,  East  Hampton  town. 
Mentioned  in  the  Montauk  Indian  deed  of  1670, 
viz.:   " Shahchippitchage  being  on  the  North  side 
of  ye  sd  Land,  midway  between  great  pond  and 
Fort  Pond"  (Hedges's  Address,  1847).    A  variant 
is  Shahchippetchuge  (Ranger's  Deeds,  1851).     The 
names   mentioned   in   this   deed   were   evidently 
bestowed  at  the  time  the  land  was  laid  out,  as  they 


On  Long  Island  239 

are  all  bound-marks,  this  one  being  a  pile  of  stones. 
The  name  is  composed  of  shah,  a  form  correspond- 
ing to  the  Massachusetts  nashaue  (Eliot),  "in  the 
middle,"  "midway"  (frequently  abbreviated  to 
ashwa-,  shaw-,  shew-,  she-,  etc.).  Chippitchage  = 
Massachusetts  cMp'pachaug  (Eliot),  "a  separated 
place,"  "place  of  separation.'  This  makes  the 
name  Shah-chip' pachaug,  "the  midway  place  of 
separation,"  as  stated  in  the  above. 

387.  SHANCSOMACOCKE  :    a    locality    at    Flat- 
lands,  King's  County.     Mentioned  in  the  Indian 
deed  of  May  13,  1664,  viz.:  "both  of  upland  and 
marshes,  any  way  belonging  thereto,  as  the  Straun 
Beach  or  Beaches,  as  namely  that  running  out 
more  westerly,  with  the  Island  adjoining,  and  is 
at   the  same   time   by  the  ocean  sea  wholly  in- 
closed,   called   hoopaninak    and    Shanscomacocke, 
etc. "    (Stiles's  Hist.  King's  Co.,  p.  78).   The  name 
Shanscomacocke    represents    Mashans-comac-ocke, 
"much    inclosed    place,"    or    "wholly    inclosed 
place." 

388.  SHATEMUC:  the  Mohegan  name  of  Hud- 
son River.     Variations  are  Shattemuc,  Chatemuc. 
Schoolcraft  says:    " Shaita,  in  the  cognate  dialect 
of  the  Odjibwa  means  a  pelican."     It  cannot  be 
affirmed  to  denote  the  same  thing  in  this  dialect, 
nor  is  it  known  that  the  pelican  has  ever  been 
seen  on  this  river.     I  am  inclined  to  regard  the 


240  Indian  Place-Names 

name  as  the  equivalent  of  Nashaue-tuk-ut,  "place 
where  two  streams  meet,"  literally,  "a  place 
between."  (Compare  Shawtucket,  also  called 
Showattucket,  in  Connecticut.)  The  Showtucket 
Indians  occupied  the  crotch  of  the  Quinebaug  and 
Shetucket  rivers  (pronounced  by  the  Indians  Shoo- 
tucket,  which,  I  am  informed,  signifies  "confluence") 
(Rev.  Dr.  Nott's  MS.  Account  of  Franklin, 
1800,  according  to  Trumbull).  The  same  name 
occurs  in  Rhode  Island  as  Shewatuck  and  Showa- 
tucquese  (Parsons).  Shatemuc  perhaps  described 
the  "union"  of  the  East  River  with  the  Hudson. 

389.  SHAWANGO:  "neck  between  Great  Pond 
and  Fort  Pond,  Ocean  side,  Montauk"  (De  Kay's 
Indian  Names).     I  have  been  unable  to  find  any 
other  authority  for  the  above.     De  Kay  may  have 
got   it   from   a   map   of    1845,   where  Shewango 
Neck  includes  the  whole  of  Montauk  east  of  the 
Great  Pond,  but  this  is  an  error  for  Shagwong 
(q.v.). 

390.  SHAWCOPSHEE:    a    locality    on     Staten 
Island,   Richmond    Co.     In   1664,    "  Shawestcout 
and  Erramorhas  Indians  residing  at  Shawcopshee 
upon  Staten  Island,  sell  a  tract  of  land  at  Hallets 
point"    (Munsell's  Hist.   Queen's   Co.}.      It   ap- 
pears also  as  Shawkopoke  (Thompson,  vol.  ii.,  p. 
1 50) .     I  have  been  unable  to  learn  the  exact  local- 
ity to  which  this   name  was  given;   but   it  was 


On  Long  Island  241 

probably  one  of  the  harbors  on  the  north  shore 
of  the  island.  The  word  is  composed  of  shaw 
corresponding  to  Delaware  lechauwaak,  "fork" 
(of  a  stream);  Massachusetts  nashaue,  "place 
between,"  "fork,"  "midway,"  etc.;  copshee  or 
kopoke,  corresponding  to  kuppi,  "closed"  (kob-pog, 
"a  haven,"  "harbor";  copsie,  a  term  denoting 
"a  safe  place  of  landing,  formed  by  eddy  waters, " 
according  to  Schoolcraf t) .  We  get  thus  N'shauw- 
kopoke,  "the  midway  haven  or  harbor." 

391.  SHEPMOES:  a  plantation  upon  the  Island 
Manhattan,  probably  at  or  near  the  present  East 
1 4th  Street  (Col.  Hist.  N.   Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  no). 
It  was  probably  so  called  from  an  Indian  who 
planted  there. 

392.  SHERAWOUG:  a  locality  on  the  east  side 
of  Stony  Brook  Harbor,  near  St.  James,  Smith- 
town.     The  late  Hon.  J.  Lawrence  Smith,  in  his 
Notes  on  Smithtown,  in  Munsell's  Hist.  S.  C.,  says: 
"The  whole  east  side  of  the  Harbor  was  called 
Sherrawog."     A  variant  is  Sherawoug  (Thompson, 
vol.  i.,  p.  458).     I  have  been  unable  to  obtain 
early   forms   to  verify  it,    but   the   name   seems 
to  be  the  same  as  Ashawog,  Assawaug,  Nashaway, 
etc.,  occurring  in  various  forms  throughout  New 
England,   and    on   Long  Island,    designating  "a 
place    between"     (Massachusetts    nashaue,    "in 
the  middle").     Probably  so  called  because  it  was 

16 


242  Indian  Place-Names 

land  between  Wopawog  and  Nissequoque  or  some 
other  limited  tract. 

393.  SHINNECOCK:  a  neck  of  land,  a  bay,  and 
a  range  of  hills  in  Southampton  town.     It  be- 
longed originally  to  the  plain  of  which  the  neck 
forms  a  part.     It  is  first  mentioned  in  the  Indian 
deed  of  Southampton,  Dec.  13,  1640,  viz.:    "It  is 
agreed  that  the  Indians  above  named  shall  have 
liberty  to  break  up  ground  for  their  use  to  the 
westward  of  the  creek  on  the  west  side  of  Shine- 
cock  plaine"    (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  13).     In  town 
meeting,  1641 :   "It  is  agreed  that  any  person  that 
hath   lotts   up   on   Shinecocke    playne    in  which 
there  are  any  Indian  Barnes  or  wells  lying  shall 
fill  them  up"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  32).     Variations 
are:  Shinnekuke,  1657;  Shinnocut,  1657;  Shinnikut, 
1667;  Shinnecock,  etc.     The  terminal  syllable  of 
this  name,  -cock,  is  a  corrupted  form  of  -auk-ut, 
"at  a  place,"   "at  the  land."     With  its  prefix, 
Shinne-ank-ut,  "at  the  level  land  or  country,"  is 
the  parallel  of  the  Massachusetts  shinne-auke-ut 
(Eliot),     "level    land";     Delaware    shing-hacki, 
"flat  or  level  ground";  Chippewa  jing-  akamiga, 
"there  is  level  country."     The  first  component 
of   the   word,   shinne,   corresponds   to   Delaware 
schingeu,  "level." 

394.  SHOCKHEYOUNE  :    On  January  24,    1676, 
Richard  Smith, Sr.,  of  Nissequauge gives  to  Obadiah 


On  Long   Island  243 

Smith  (his  son)  the  tract  of  land  at  the  mouth  of 
Nissequage  River  on  the  west  side  from  the  swamp 
of  the  creek  called  Shockheyoune  to  the  North  Sea, 
being  about  100  acres  with  all  the  meadow 
(information  furnished  by  O.  B.  Ackerly,  Esq., 
and  Wm.  S.  Pelletreau,  Esq.).  The  derivation 
of  the  name  is  uncertain. 

395.  SICHETANYHACKY  :    a    locality    given   in 
De  Kay's  Indian  Names,  as  being  a  place  men- 
tioned in  Kieft's  purchase,   south  of  Cow  Bay, 
Queen's  Co.     We  find  it  in  the  Indian  deed  of 
January  15,   1639:     "The   grantor's  (Sachem  of 
Massapeag)  patrimonial  lands  and  the  jurisdiction 
thereof   situate   upon   Long    Island — reaching   in 
length  along  the  southside — from   Reckouwhacky 
(Rockaway)    to    Siketenwhacky."     Variants  are: 
Siketenhacky,    1644;   Sickentanhacky,    1645    (Col. 
Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  pp.  15,  56,  60).  The  Secatogues' 
land  bounded  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Massapeags 
on  the  east,  consequently  this  locality  was  the 
property  of  the  Secatogues.    Sicketenwhacky  which 
is  in  Dutch  notation  "the  country  of  the  Secato- 
gues," the  terminal  being  -hacky,   "land."     See 
Secatogue. 

396.  SICHTEYHACKY  :  Dutch  notation  for  Setau- 
ket.     Mentioned  in  treaty  of  1645.     See  Mochgon- 
nekonck,  Setauket. 

397.  SINTSINCK:    (a)   a  name  given  to  Man- 


244  Indian  Place-Names 

hasset  Bay  or  to  a  locality  on  the  Bay,  North 
Hempstead,  Queen's  Co.  "Cow  Neck  now  called 
Manhasset  Neck  was  called  by  the  Indians  Sint- 
sinck"  (French's  Gazetteer  of  N.  Y.,  1860).  An 
Indian  deed  of  January  15,  1639,  for  land  in 
Queen's  Co.,  states:  "We  Director  and  Council 
of  New  Netherland  testify  and  declare  that  to-day, 
personally,  appeared  before  us  Mechowodt,  chief 
Sachem  of  Marossepinck,  Sint  sinck  (also  called 
Schout's  bay),  and  its  dependances"  (Col.  Hist. 
N.  Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  28). 

(b)  Sint  sinck:  tract  of  land  at  Astoria,  Queen's 
Co.  "A  tract  of  land  near  Hallets  Point  was 
sold  in  1664  by  Shawestcout  and  Erramorhas 
Indians — beginning  at  first  creek  called  Sunwick. 
This  tract  was  called  by  the  Indians  'Sint  sinck, ,' 
and  it  embraced  nearly  the  whole  of  Hell-gate 
neck"  (Munsell's  Hist.  Queen's  Co.).  This  name 
is  probably  the  same  as  Sing-Sing  in  Westchester 
Co.,  N.  Y.  Originally  this  was  Ossining,  said  to 
signify  "stone  upon  stone,"  that  is,  "a  stony 
place."  In  1901  the  old  name  Ossining  was  re- 
adopted.  For  this  name  another  etymology 
assinesink,  "at  the  little  stone,"  has  been  offered 
(Handb.  ofAmer.  Indians  N.  ofMex.,  vol.  ii.,  1910, 
pp.  161,  577). 

398.  SKOOKWAMS,  Schookwaumes:  a  neck  of 
land  east  of  Babylon  in  Islip  town.  "Schook- 
waumes is  the  neck  of  land  upon  which  is  located 


On  Long'  Island  245 

the  residence  of  E.  B.  Sutton,  Esq.     The  Indian 
name  signifies  'snake  neck,'  or  'snake   place'  ' 
(J.  W.  Cooper  in  Babylon  Signal,  June  13,  1885). 
This  is  probably   a   corrupted  form  of  Sequam 
or  Scoguam  as  it  was  called  earlier.     See  Scoquams. 

399.  SKUPASH:   a  creek  in  the  meadows  at 
Jamaica,   Queen's  Co.     Named  in  the  Division 
of  meadows,  July  I,  1657:     "Ye  fourth — are  to 
lie  eastward  from  ye  sayd  crik  in  ye  hasoky  mea- 
dows to  ye  River  called  Skupash"    (Col.  Hist. 
N.   Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  505).     This  name  is  possibly 
a  contraction  of  Maskituash  and  signifies  "grass," 
"grassy,"  "a  meadow." 

400.  SLONGO  :  Sunk  Meadow,  Smithtown.  Hon. 
J.  Lawrence  Smith,  in  his  "Notes  on  Smithtown" 
(Munsell's  Hist.  S.  C.),  says:  "We  are  unable  to 
find    the    derivation    or    meaning    of    the    name 
Slongo.     The  inhabitants  of  that  locality  do  not 
remember  any  tradition  of  the  name.     De  Kay 
in  his  printed — but  not  published — list  of  Indian 
names,  inquires  if  Slongo  is  not  Dutch." 

401.  SONNQUOQUAS:  a  name  of  Tom's  Creek, 
or  the  land  adjoining  at  Southold.     Mentioned 
in  the  confirmatory  deed  of  Hashamomuk  Neck, 
February  20, 1660,  viz. :     "All  that  land  lying  and 
being  neere  or  adjoining  Tom's  Creek,  in  Indian 
Sonnquoquas"  (S.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  208).     This  shows 


246  Indian  Place-Names 

that  Sonquoqua  was  an  Indian  who  lived  at  this 
place,  and  from  his  English  name  of  Tom,  the 
creek  perhaps  derived  its  name,  although  the 
common  supposition  is  that  it  was  derived  from 
Thomas  Benedict,  one  of  the  early  inhabitants 
of  Hashamomuk.  Sonquoqua  was  one  of  the  chief 
men  of  the  Manhansett  tribe;  his  name  appears  on 
the  deed  to  Sylvester  and  Company  for  Shelter 
Island  in  1652,  as  "  Sonqiwequahesick. "  The  affix 
-esick,  "of.  the  brook,"  probably  refers  to  his 
residence  at  Tom's  Creek  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p. 
97). 

402.  SOUWASSETT:  "Port  Jefferson  [Brook- 
haven  town]  formerly  Drown  Meadow,  called 
by  the  Indians  Sowassett"  (Thompson's,  L.  /., 
vol.  i.,  p.  432).  The  name  is  traditional  and 
does  not  appear  in  the  town  records,  but  in  the 
histories  of  Long  Island  it  is  found  as  Sowassett, 
Souivassett,  and  Sonassett,  the  last,  no  doubt, 
a  typographical  error.  The  name  denotes  "at 
the  place  of  small  pines. "  The  components  of  the 
word  are  koiiwa,  corresponding  to  Massachusetts 
ksnva,  pine,  in  the  diminutive,  ks)wa-wese,  or 
kdjwaese,  "a  small  (or  young)  pine";  the 
locative  affix  -es-et;  making  Koowas-es-et  (Narra- 
gansett  Cowawesuck},  "at  the  young  pine  place," 
or  "small  pine  place."  Several  localities  in  New 
England  have  retained,  in  forms  more  or  less  corrup- 
ted, this  appellation.  The  Indian  name  of  the  tree, 


On  Lon§£  Island  247 

was  taken  from  its  pointed  leaves ;  kous,  "  a  thorn," 
"brier,"  or  "having  a  sharp  point"  (Trumbull). 
In  the  Delaware  we  find  cuwe,  "pine-tree," 
cuweuchac,  "pine  wood"  (also  varied  as  kuwe, 
and  kuweuchac] .  Rev.  A.  S.  Anthony,  Assistant 
Missionary  to  the  Delawares  in  Canada,  and  a 
full  blooded  Delaware  himself,  differs  from  Dr. 
Trumbull  as  to  its  primary  signification,  and  says 
it  is  properly  p'koweu,  "it  is  sticky,"  alluding  to 
the  resin  (Lendpe-English  Dictionary,  1888). 
August  6,  1 910.  The  foregoing  was  written  six- 
teen'or  more  years  ago,  and  it  may  or  may  not  be 
correct,  so  I  leave  it.  Thompson  further  remarks 
(Proc.  N.  Y.  Hist.  Soc.,  1845,  p.  131):  "The 
Indian  name  of  Port  Jefferson  was  Sowassett, 
and  the  cove  between  it  and  Setaukett  was 
Poquott."  After  considerable  inquiry  as  well 
as  personal  search,  Thompson  is  the  earliest 
authority  for  these  two  names  whom  we  have 
been  able  to  discover.  They  may  have  survived 
in  tradition  up  to  his  day,  or  he  may  have  found 
them  in  some  early  deed  unknown  to  us.  Which- 
soever this  may  be,  they  have  every  appearance 
of  some  mistake  according  to  our  present  view, 
and  the  two  are  more  likely  to  have  been  an 
original  Poquossett,  "where  (water)  it  opens  out 
or  widens,  i.  e.,  drowns  the  land."  This  sugges- 
tion is  apparently  confirmed  by  the  fact  that 
Port  Jefferson  was  earlier  called  "Drowned 
Meadow."  See  the  discussion  of  the  adopted 


248  Indian  Place-Names 

Indian  term  poquosin  in  the  American  Anthro- 
pologist (n.  s.),  vol.  i.  (1899),  pp.  162-170. 

403.  SPEONK:  a  village  in  the  western  part  of 
Southampton  town,  about  a  mile  from  the  bound- 
ary. The  name  was  originally  given  to  the  neck 
of  land  on  which  the  village  is  located.  The 
creek  on  the  east  is  also  known  as  Speonk  River. 
The  locality  is  not  mentioned  in  the  records  of  the 
town  until  1712,  seventy- two  years  after  the  settle- 
ment in  1640,  and  forty-six  years  after  the  Topping 
purchase  of  1666,  of  which  the  neck  forms  a 
part.  Then  we  find  it  as  follows:  "a  descrip- 
tion of  ye  meadow  and  upland  att  Speeunk,  Wee 
whose  names  are  hereunto  subscribed  being 
chosen  by  the  town  to  lay  ye  upland  and  meadow 
in  quantity  and  quality  as  may  appear  by  a  voat 
of  said  Town"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  155).  The 
word  is  spelled  in  the  above  record  in  four  in- 
stances as  Speeunk;  Speonk,  1748;  Speunk,  1782. 
In  regard  to  its  meaning  we  must  remain  in  doubt, 
for  the  word  may  be  a  corrupted  form.  Wm.  S. 
Pelletreau  writes:  "It  is  'high  ground,'  "  and 
gives  Dr.  J.  H.  Trumbull  as  his  authority.  This 
interpretation  he  probably  derives  from  compari- 
son with  the  Mohegan  spummunk,  "on  high"; 
Passamaquoddy,  spemuk,  "above."  But,  as 
these  terms  are  used  in  the  sense  of  being  "in 
the  heavens,"  we  cannot  think  it  so  derived,  for 
the  land  is  perfectly  level  in  this  section.  I  have 


On  Long  Island  249 

suggested  its  derivation  from  asp-yeuonk,  "place 
lifted  up,"  which  is  similar  to  Trumbull's,  but 
from  different  elements.  This  might  refer  to  the 
bluffs  on  the  east  side  of  the  neck,  although  they 
are  hardly  high  enough  to  merit  the  name  of 
bluffs.  There  is  a  name  a  few  miles  to  the  west, 
which  may  have  been  duplicated  on  this  neck, 
and  affords  a  good  derivation  for  Speonk,  viz.: 
(wa)speunk,  "to  the  edge,  margin  or  border  (of 
a  stream)."  This  will  apply  very  well  to  the 
topography  of  Speonk  Neck.  See  Waspeunk. 

404.  SPHETONGA:  "Brooklyn  Heights,  L.  I." 
(De  Kay's  Indian  Names.}     See  Ihpetonga. 

405.  SQUASSUCKS  :  a  point  of  land  in  Brookhaven 
town  on  the  East   Connecticut   River.     Munsell 
records  that  a  dock  had  been  constructed  at  a 
point  called    Squassucks    (Hist.    S.    C.,    Brook- 
haven).     On  May  10,  1728,  there  was"laydoute 
a  Highway  from  Squasuck's  pointe  below  ye  15 
aker  lots,   soe  running  across  the  necke  to  ye 
Little  fly"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  118).     It  appears 
also    as    Squasucx,    1737.     This    point    of    land 
derives  its  name  from  Wesquassuck,  an  Indian,  who 
lived  at  one  time  on  the  point.     His  name  appears 
on  the  Indian  deed  for  roads  in  1690  as  Wesquase- 
sac,  and  on  Wm.  Smith's  deed  to  the  Indians  at 
Pusspa'tok  in  1700,  as  Wisquosuck  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i., 
pp.  76,  91).      The  word  is  composed  of  wisq,  "a 


250  Indian  Place-Names 

pot,"  "dish,"  etc.;  -ussu-uk,  "he  finishes,"  com- 
pletes," "makes."  Hence  Wisq-uss-uk,  "pot 
maker,"  as  a  personal  name. 

406.  SQUAW:  an  Island  in  the  town  of  South 
Oyster  Bay,  Queen's  Co.     It  is  said  to  have  been 
derived  from  the  fact  that  it  was  the  refuge  of  the 
squaws  and  children  during  troublous  times.     On 
some  maps  it  is  spelled  Skow.     The  word  squaw 
represents    Massachusetts   squa    (Eliot   uses   the 
compound   squaas,   i.    e.,    "female   animal,")    or 
eshqua;  Delaware  ochqueu,  etc. 

407.  SQUAW-HILL:  one  of  the  range  of  Shin- 
necock  Hills,  near  the  Tuckahoe  gate,  Southamp- 
ton. 

408.  SQUAW-PIT   or   Squam-pit:   the   tract   of 
land    in    Huntington    near    "Deer    Park,"    now 
W-iandance,  was  known  as  the  Squaw-pit  purchase, 
sometimes  called  "  Squam. " 

409.  SQUORUMS  :  a  neck  of  land  on  the  east 
bounds  of  Mastic  Neck.     From  the  name  of  an 
Indian  resident  thereon,  alternate  with  Waspeunk. 
See  Musquatax. 

410.  Sucos:  "the  site  of  the  village  of  Brook- 
ville  in  the  town  of  Oyster  Bay,  Queen's  Co.,  was 
called  Suco's  wigwam"  (Munsell's  Hist.  Queen- s 


On  Lon§£  Island  251 

Co.).  So  called  from  Suco,  the  Indian  who  oc- 
cupied the  wigwam.  His  name  is  an  abbreviation 
of  Suconamon,  from  whom  the  land  was  purchased 
in  the  early  days  of  the  township. 

411.  SUGGAMUCK:  a  creek  near  Flanders, 
Southampton  town,  now  called  Birch  Creek.  It 
is  designated  by  its  Indian  name  in  the  testimony 
of  the  old  Sachem  Paucamp,  taken  down  by  Wm. 
Wells  in  1660:  "being  in  the  west  end  of  the  Bay, 
five  creeks  .  .  .  the  third  Suggamuck"  (Book  of 
Deeds,  vol.  ii.,  p.  213,  Office  of  Sec'y  of  State, 
Albany,  N.  Y.).  The  name  M 'sugg-amuck  sig- 
nifies "a  place  where  they  went  to  catch  bass," 
"  a  bass  fishing-place. "  The  components  of  the 
word  are  sugg,  suggig,  for  'm'suggig,  "bass"; 
Narragansett  (R.  Williams)  missuckeke,  "bass"; 
Massachusetts  (Wood)  -amuck,  "fishing-place." 
A  creek  on  Shelter  Island  retains  its  name  of  "Bass 
Creek"  from  similar  happenings.  Wood  writes 
thus  concerning  this  fish:  "TheBaffe  is  one  of  the 
best  fifhes  in  the  country,  and  though  men  are  some 
wearied  with  other  fifh,  yet  are  they  never  with 
Baffe;  it  is  a  delicate,  fine  fat  faft  fish,  having  a 
bone  in  his  head,  which  contains  a  fawcerfull  of 
marrow  fweet  and  good,  pleafant  to  thepallat,  and 
wholfome  to  the  ftomach,  when  there  be  great  ftore 
of  them  we  onely  eate  the  heads,  and  fait  up  the 
bodies  for  winter,  of  thefe  fishes  fome  be  three 
and  fome  foure  foot  long,  fome  bigger,  fome  leffer; 


252  Indian  Place-Names 

at  fome  tides  a  man  may  catch  a  dozen  or  twenty 
of  thefe  in  three  houres,  the  way  to  catch  them 
is  with  hooke  and  line.  The  fifherman  taking  a 
great  Cod-line,  to  which  he  fafteneth  a  peece  of 
Lobfter  and  throwing  into  the  fea,  the  fifh  biting 
it  he  pulls  her  to  him,  and  knockes  her  on  the 
head  with  a  sticke.  Thefe  are  at  one  time  (when 
Alwives  paffe  up  the  River)  to  be  catched  in  the 
Rivers,  in  Lobfter  time  at  the  Rockes,  in  macrill 
time  in  the  Bayes,  at  Michelmas  in  the  feas,  when 
they  use  to  tide  it  in  and  out  to  the  Rivers  and 
Creeks,  the  Englifh  at  the  top  of  an  high  water  do 
croffe  the  Creekes  with  long  seanes  or  Baffe  Netts, 
which  stop  in  the  fifh ;  and  the  water  ebbing  from 
them  they  are  left  on  the  dry  ground  sometimes 
two  or  three  thousand  at  a  set"  (N.  E.  Prospect, 
1634,  pp.  37-38).  Roger  Williams's  (Key]  says: 
"The  Indians  (and  the  English  too)  make  a  daintie 
dif h  of  the  Uppaquontup,  or  head  of  this  fifh ;  and 
well  they  may,  the  braines  and  fat  of  it  being  very 
much,  and  fweet  as  marrow."  See  Aspatuck, 
Messemennuck,  and  Rapahamuck. 

412.  SUMPAWAMS,  Sampawams :  a  name  now 
applied  to  the  creek  that  separates  the  towns  of 
Babylon  and  Islip.  It  belonged  originally  to  the 
neck,  on  which  the  principal  part  of  the  village 
of  Babylon  is  built.  This  name  appears  about 
twenty-one  times  in  the  printed  records  of  the 
town  of  Huntington,  with  the  following  variations 


On  Long'  Island  253 

in  orthography,  viz. :  Sampawame,  Sumpwams, 
Sowampams,  1689;  Sumpawams ,  i6<)O;Sampaumes, 
1697;  Sumpwams,  1740;  and,  although  "commonly 
so-called"  in  1689,  it  does  not  appear  earlier  in 
the  records.  It  is  evident  from  the  insistence 
of  the  English  possessive,  that  the  neck  of  land 
on  which  the  name  was  originally  bestowed, 
derives  its  appellation  from  an  Indian  named 
Sampawam  or  Sumpwam,  who  formerly  lived 
and  planted  there.  There  are  other  necks  of  land 
extending  into  Great  South  Bay  and  contingent 
waters,  which  take  their  Indian  names  from  like 
circumstances.  I  am  aware  that  no  Indian, 
designated  by  this  name  in  its  entirety  can  be 
found  mentioned  in  the  records;  but  there  is  one, 
however,  whose  popular  cognomen  among  the 
settlers  may  be  a  curtailed  reminder  of  Sumpwams. 
In  the  Indian  deed  for  Sumpwams  Hook  (H.  R., 
vol.  i.,  p.  171)  his  name  is  written  "pwamas," 
which  is  seemingly  near  enough  to  justify  the  con- 
clusion that  this  name  in  its  various  forms,  seldom 
twice  alike,  is  a  colloquial  contraction.  Similar 
change  is  noticed  in  the  English  contraction 
"Siases"  for  Josiah's  Neck  in  the  same  township. 
The  meaning  of  Sumpawam  is  the  "straight  walker" 
or  "he  goes  straight,"  hence,  an  "upright  or  just 
man."  The  first  component  sump-  or  saump- 
is  the  equivalent  of  the  Narragansett  saumpi 
and  Massachusetts  sampwi,  signifying  primarily 
"straight,"  "direct,"  and,  by  metonymy,  "just," 


254  Indian  Place-Names 

"upright,"  "right  in  action  or  conduct,"  being 
used  more  often  in  this  sense  than  in  the  other 
by  Eliot  in  his  Indian  Bible.  The  terminal  is  the 
verb  of  motion,  in  the  third  person  singular 
(-aum  =  8m,)  or  as  Eliot  sometimes  wrote  it  (w8m), 
"he  goes."  Hence  we  have,  in  Eliot's  notation, 
Samp-w'mS's  Neck. 

413.  SUNGIC:  a  point  of  land,  and  a  creek  on 
the  east  side  of  Shelter  Island,  Gardiner's  Bay. 
The  name  is  traditional,  and  found  only  on  the 
maps  of  the  Island,   and  in  local  parlance.     It 
denotes   "a  stony  place,"  being  the  equivalent 
of  the  Unkechaug  sun  "a  stone";  Massachusetts 
(Eliot)  hassun,  "stone";  Delaware achsin,  "stone" 
(cf.  achsinnigeu,  "stony"),   with  locative  suffix. 
The  shores  of  the  Island  at  this  locality  are  quite 
rocky.     A  point  a  short  distance  south  is  known 
as  the  "Rocky  Point."     See  Sunwicks. 

414.  SUNKAPOGUE:   a  creek  in  the  town   of 
Brookhaven,  Mastic  Neck,  so-named  in  an  Indian 
deed  from  Macarac,  alias  Humphrey,  native  of 
Unkechogue,    to    Andrew    Gibb,    dated   April    I, 
1690,  for  half  a  neck  of  land  of  which  this  creek 
was  a  part  of  the  east  bounds.    (Book  of  Deeds, 
Southampton  Clerk's  Office.     Copy  by  Wm.  S. 
Pelletreau,  Esq.)    Appears  in  1692  asSunkapauk. 
The  name  Sunkapogue  corresponds  to  the  Massa- 
chusetts sonkipog,  "cool  water-place,"  "a  spring 


On  Long  Island  255 

or  brook  of  running  water"  (from  sonqiii,  "  cool  " ; 
-paug,  "water-place").     See  Musquatax. 

415.  SUNWICKS:  a  creek  at  Astoria,  Queen's 
Co.     It  is  noted  in  the  Indian  deed  of  Aug.  I,  1664, 
to  Wm.  Hallet,  viz. :    "  Beginning  at  the  first  crick, 
called  Sunwick,  westward  below  Hellgate  upon 
Long  Island,   and  from  the  mouth  of  sd  crick 
south  to   a  markt  tree  fast  by  a    great    rock" 
(Thompson,  vol.  ii.,  p.  150).     Also  Sunwicks,  and, 
on  some  maps,  Sunswicks.     This  name  probably 
signifies  a  "stone-house"   (sun-wick],  which  the 
Dutch  or  English  had  erected  near  the   creek. 
But  see  Sungic. 

416.  SWEGO:  a  locality  in  Huntington  town. 
Mentioned  in  1771,  viz. :  "And  we  do  direct  Doctor 
Wiggins  to  have  Jonah  Woods  house  at  Swego  or 
some  other    remote    place"    (Order    relating    to 
Smallpox,  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  508).     It  is  just  possible 
that  this  name  may  be  a  corruption  of  Oswego, 
imported  from  the  well-known  name  in  New  York 
State,  which  is  of  Iroquoian  origin,  the  word  from 
which  it  is  derived  corresponding  in  meaning  to  the 
Algonkian  sagi-,  sack-,  sank-,  etc.,  "flowing  out," 
"outlet." 

417.  SYOSSET:  a  village  in  the  town  of  Oyster 
Bay.^This  name  is  of  Indian  derivation;  it  has 
been  evolved  from  the  Dutch  Schouts,  "  a  sheriff. " 


256  Indian  Place-Names 

Schotit,  Siocits,  Syocits,  are  some  of  the  various 
stages  of  degradation,  down  to  its  present  form. 

418.  TACKAN:  a  tract  of  land  in  Smithtown 
on  the  Nissequogue  River.     "February  24,  1704, 
Benj.   Aske   petitions   for   a   warrant   to   survey 
land  on  the  Nissequogue  River."     On  the  same 
date  is  filed  a  survey  of  24,283  acres  of  land  on 
the  river,  purchased  by  Benj.  Aske  &  Co.  from 
the  Indians.     On  March  20,    1704,   a  license  is 
issued  to  Benj.  Aske  to  purchase  "a  tract  of  land 
in  the  county  of  Suffolk   called    Tackan"    (Cal. 
of  Land  Papers  in  Office  of  Sec'y  of  State,  p.  70). 
The  tract  was  evidently  woodland,  and  the  name 
describes   the   locality;   being   the   equivalent  of 
the  Delaware  tachan    "woods,"   "forest,"  "wild- 
lands,"  etc.     See  Wissiguack. 

419.  TATAMUCKATAKIS  :   a  neck  and  creek  in 
Babylon  town,  west  of  Copiag  Neck,  now  known 
as  Great  Neck,  and  Great  Neck  Creek.     One   of 
the  three  necks  of  meadow  bought  in  1658  from 
the  Massapeague  Indians,  but  not  named.     It  is 
first  recorded  in  1659,  viz.:    "And  that  half  neck 
which  was  massapage  Indian  land  called  by  them 
tatamunehese"   (H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.   19).    Also  as 
Yatamontitaheg  (vol.  ii.,  p.  52).     This  is  a  duplicate 
of  the  entry  of   1659,   with  change  in  spelling. 
Again,  in  1666,  viz.:  "a  neck  comonly  called  by 
the  Indians  Copiage  bounded  on  the  west  with  a 


On  Long'  Island  257 

river  called  Yatamuntitahege"  (H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  84). 
An  Indian  deed  for  the  upland  of  Copiag  Neck, 
1693,  nas  "westward  upon  Tatamuckatakis  Creek" 
(H.  R.,  vol.  ii.).  The  will  of  Jonas  Wood  (Febru- 
ary, 1688)  has  Tantamuntatauket ;  Munsell  gives 
Tacamackacackee;  and  J.  W.  Cooper,  Esq.,  in  the 
Babylon  Signal  for  June  13,  1883,  Tac-a-mac-a- 
cak-ee.  The  name  belonged  originally  to  the 
meadows  bordering  the  creek  and  upland  and 
Tatamuckatakis  signifies  "meadow  that  trembles. " 
The  components  of  the  word  are  tata,  "to  shake, 
to  tremble";  muckatakis,  corresponding  to  Massa- 
chusetts moskehtuash,  "grass,"  "pasturage." 

420.  TAUKOMS:  neck  of  land  in  the  town  of 
Babylon.     Mentioned    in    the    Indian    deed    of 
1697,  viz-- — "And  a  neck  called  by  ye  English 
Lacten's  Neck,  called  by   ye  Indians  taukoms" 
(H.   R.,   vol.  ii.,  p.   208).     From  the  possessive 
termination,  this  may  be  the  name  of  its  Indian 
owner.      Lacten  does  not  appear   in  the  early 
records  among  the  names  of  the  English  settlers, 
consequently  it  may  be  a  name  applied  by  the 
English  to  the  Indian  Taukom.     His  name  seems 
to  be  the  equivalent  of  the  Massachusetts  (Eliot) 
Tohke'kom,    "a   spring,"    "a   fountain";   Narra- 
gansett  Takdkum,  "a  spring  of  water." 

421.  TENKENAS:  Ward's  Island,  in  the  East 
River,    formerly    called    "Great     Barcut,"     or 

17 


258  Indian  Place-Names 

"Great  Barn  Island,"  by  the  Indians  was  named 
Tenkenas  (French's  Gazetteer  of  N.  Y.,  1860). 
The  Indian  deed  of  July  16,  1637  has  "when  two 
chiefs  Seyseys  and  Numess  convey  to  Wouter 
Van  T wilier,  Director  General  of  New  Netherland, 
the  two  islands,  situate  in  the  Hellegat,  of  which 
the  larger  is  called  Tenkenas"  (Col.  Hist.  N.  Y., 
vol.  xiv.,  p.  5).  The  name  Tenkenas  corresponds 
to  the  Delaware  tekene,  "forest,"  "woods," 
' '  bushy, "  "  wild  lands, "  etc.  See  Minnahanonck, 
Tachan. 

422.  TERSARGE:  a  locality  on  the  north  side  of 
Long  Island,  probably  in  Smithtown.     On  (prob- 
ably)  April   4,    1685,    one    Cornelissin   petitions 
the  Governor  for  a  warrant  "to  survey  a  tract  of 
land  allotted  to  him  by  the  Indians,  at  a  place 
called  by  them  Tersarge,  being  to  the  eastward 
of  the  town  of  Huntington  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Island"  (Cal.  of  Land  Papers  in  Office  of  Sec'y 
of  State,  Albany,  p.  30).     The  name,  etymology, 
etc.,  are  very  uncertain. 

423.  TiANNA:    bay    and    creek    in    western 
Southampton  at  Good  Ground.     It  is  recorded 
in  the  laying  out  of  the  lower  division  in  the 
Quogue  purchase,  1738,  viz.:   "No.  12  above  the 
lower  highway  on  the  west  side  of  said  neck,  butt- 
ing to  the  middle  highway  running  westward  to 
Tiannah  water"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  101).    Va- 


On  Long  Island  259 

riations  are:  Tianna,  1754;  Tyana,  1757;  Tianah, 
1763;  Tiana,  1782.  The  tradition  (probably 
correct)  is,  that  Tianah  was  the  name  of  a  squaw 
who  lived  at  the  head  of  the  bay  near  the  creek. 
Dr.  J.  Hammond  Trumbull,  in  a  communication 
to  Wm.  S.  Pelletreau,  regards  it  as  an  abbreviation 
of  a  longer  name. 

424.  TINNIE'S:  a  hole  of  water  on  Neapeague 
Beach,    near  the    Amagansett    Hills.     So-called 
from  a  squaw  who  was  drowned  therein. 

425.  TOWAPIONKE:   a   tract   of  land   east   of 
Mastic  Neck,  town  of  Brookhaven,  so-named  in  a 
deed  from  William  Smith  to  John  Wood,  dated 
Dec.    20,   1693    (Suffolk  County    Clerk's  Office, 
Deeds,  Liber  A,  p.  14.    Copy  by  O.  B.  Ackerly, 
Esq.).    The  name  represents  Tow-api-onke,  "wad- 
ing place  where  there  is  sitting  down,  before  cross- 
ing."     The   components   of   the   word   are   tow, 
corresponding   to    Delaware   towin,    "to   wade," 
"to   walk  in   the  water,"    "to  ford";  api,   the 
equivalent    of    the    Massachusetts    appeu,     "he 
sits";  -onke  (-auke),  "place."     See  Towd. 

426.  TOWD:    a   locality   near    "North    Sea," 
Southampton  town.     It  is  frequently  mentioned 
in  the  early  records,  and  is  still  so-called.     "Town 
meeting,  January  22,  1660, — It  is  concluded  that 
the  North  sea  neighbors  shall  have  all  that  tract 


260  Indian  Place-Names 

of  land  lying  within  their  line,  which  line  beginneth 
at  the  old  foot  path  goeing  over  the  stony  brook, 
neer  where  the  millstone  was  gotten  and  endeth 
at  the  head  of  Towd,  which  Towd  [which  part 
of  Towd]  is  a  little  cove  above  the  wading-place 
[at  Towd]."  Again,  Nov.  26,  1738:  "And  ye 
road  leading  from  ye  wading-place  at  Towd  to 
Sag  Harbor"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  209;  vol.  iii.,  p. 
94).  Variations  are:  Towde,  1728;  Toude,  1747. 
Dr.  J.  Hammond  Trumbull,  in  a  letter  to  Win. 
S.  Pelletreau,  suggests  that  Towd  is  an  abbrevia- 
tion of  Towadena,  "a  low  place  between  hills." 
This  he  gets  from  comparison  with  the  Chippewa 
(Baraga)  towadena,  "a  valley,"  etc.  I  must 
reject  this  derivation,  for  the  early  records,  as 
will  be  seen  above,  refer  to  a  "wading  place." 
Towd  was  the  general  name  given  to  the  locality 
(as  it  is  to-day)  near  the  "going  over."  I  there- 
fore consider  Towd  to  be  related  to  the  Delaware 
town,  "to  ford,"  "to  wade  over."  See  Towa- 
pionke,  Toyonge. 

427.  TOYONGE:  Red  Creek,  at  the  head  of 
Peconic  Bay,  Southampton  town.  The  same 
creek  in  the  Indian  deed  of  1648  is  called  Mash- 
manock.  Paucamp,  the  old  Sachem,  said  in 
May,  1660  (he  was  then  aged  about  80),  "that 
Occabauke  was  an  antient  seate  of  sachemship, 
and  of  long  standing,  that  is  to  say  time  out  of 
mind,  but  the  first  in  his  time  did  possesse  the 


On  Long  Island  261 

Upland  and  Meadow  on  the  swamp  side  of  the 
head  of  the  River  being  in  the  west  end  of  the  bay, 
five  creekes,  the  fifth  Toyoungs,  being  the  out 
Bounds  thereof"  (Book  of  Deeds,  vol.  ii.,  p.  210, 
Office  of  the  Sec'y  of  State,  Albany,  N.  Y.). 
Variations  are:  Toyonge,  1665;  Toyoung,  1667; 
Toyongs,  1676;  Toyong,  1682,  etc.  This  name 
signifies  "a  ford,"  or  "wading-place, "  and  is 
called  "the  wading-river "  in  some  of  the  early 
records.  It  corresponds  to  the  Massachusetts 
(Eliot)  tc&skeong,  "a  ford"  (Delaware  towin,  "to 
ford";  tschosin,  "to  wade");  Narragansett  toyusk, 
"a  bridge"  (also  Narragansett  toceketuck,  "let  us 
wade").  Heckewelder  has  in  Delaware,  tohickon, 
"stream  over  which  we  pass  by  means  of  a 
bridge  of  driftwood. "  See  Towd. 

428.  TUCKAHOE:  a  level  tract  of  land,  and  a 
school  district,  three  miles  north  of  the  village 
of  Southampton.  The  locality  derives  its  name 
from  a  plant  formerly  gathered  in  the  vicinity  by 
the  Indians,  the  tubers  of  which  were  used  for 
food  by  the  Indians.  The  plant  is  known  to 
botanists  as  Arum  tryphyllum  (Willd.)  commonly 
called  ' '  Jack  -  in  -  the  -  Pulpit, "  "  Wake-Robin, ' ' 
"Indian  Turnip,"  etc.  It  is  found  in  all  parts 
of  the  U.  S.  growing  in  damp  woods,  in  swamps, 
along  ditches,  and  in  other  moist  shady  places. 
Capt.  John  Smith  says:  "The  chiefe  root  they 
have  for  food  is  called  Tockawhough.  It  groweth 


262  Indian  Place-Names 

like  a  flagge  in  Marishes.     In  one  day  a  Salvage 
will  gather  sufficient  for  a  weeke.     These  roots  are 
much  of  the  great nesse  and  taste  of  Potatoes. 
They  use  to  cover  a  great  many  of  them  with  oke 
leaves  and  Ferns,  and  then  cover  all  with  earth 
in  the  manner  of  a  Cole-pit;  over  it,  on  each  side, 
they  continue  a  great  fire  24  hours  before  they 
dare  eat  it.     Raw  it  is  no  better  than  poyson  and 
being  rosted,  except  it  be  tender  and  the  heat 
abated,  or  sliced  or  dryed  in  the  Sunne  mixed 
with  sorrell  and  meale  or  such  like,  it  will  prickle 
and   torment   the  throat  extreamly   and  yet  in 
sommer  they  use  this  ordinarily  for  bread"  (Gen. 
Hist,   of    Virginia,    1624,  Book   ii,    pp.    26,  27). 
Trumbull  says:    "Tuckahoe  takes  its  name  from 
one  or  another  of  the  larger  'round'  (Massachu- 
setts p'tuckwe)  roots.     The  common  tuckaho  of 
Virginia  (tockwhogh  as  Capt.  John  Smith  wrote 
the  name,  toccaho  and  tockowhough  of  Strachey) 
was  the  root  of  the  Golden  Club  or  Floating  Arum 
(Orontium  aquaticum) .     'It  groweth  like  a  flag 
in   low,    muddy    freshes'     (Strachey).     In    New 
Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  the  name  seems  to  have 
been  specially  appropriated  to  a  sort  of  truffle 
or  subterranean  fungus    (Pachyma  cocos  Fries.), 
popularly  called  'Indian  loaf.'     Several  localities, 
creeks,  etc.,  in  various  parts  of  the  country  retain 
the  name  of  Tuckahoe;  e.  g.,  Tuckahoe  Creek  and 
village,   Cape   May   Co.,   N.   J. ;   Tuckahoe  Hill, 
Yonkers,  N.  Y.,  another  Tuckahoe  Creek,  Jones  Co., 


On  Long  Island  263 

N.  Y. ;  another  in  Maryland,  etc.  One  of  the 
most  amusing  of  Mr.  Heckewelder's  etymologies 
is  that  by  which  the  name  of  Tuckahoe  Creek, 
Ind.,  "is  derived  from  'Tuchahowe,  deer  are  shy, 
difficult  to  come  at;  also  Tuchauchsoak,  the  place 
where  deer  are  very  shy'!"  (Mag.  Amer.  Hist., 
June  1877,  p.  386). 

429.  TURKOM:  a  small  point  or  neck  of  land 
between  two  small  creeks  near  Menantic  Neck, 
Shelter    Island.     The    name   is    traditional    and 
known  only  locally.     I  have  been  told  by  a  for- 
mer owner  that  it  is  not  Indian  but  a  corrup- 
tion of  "Turkey-man,"  the  English  name  of  an 
Indian  residing  there. 

430.  UNCAWAMUCK  :  a  creek  in  Riverhead  town. 
Mentioned  in  the  Indian  deed  of  March  14,  1648, 
viz. :    "The  whole  tract  of  Land  commonly  called 
Ocquebauck,  Bounded  on  the  East  with  the  Creeke 
Uncawamuck  which  is  the  neck  creek  to  the  place 
where  ye  Canoes  are  drawn  over  to  Mattituck" 
(Book  of  Deeds,  vol.  ii.,   p.   210.     Office  of  the 
Sec'y    of    State,    Albany,    N.    Y.).     The    name 
Uncawamuck  signifies  "the  further  fishing-place." 
The  components  of  the  word   are  uncaiva,  cor- 
responding   to    Massachusetts    (Eliot),    ongkoue, 
"beyond,"   "further";   -amuck,    "fishing-place." 
See  Unkawa,  Unkechaug. 


264  Indian  Place-Names 

431.  UNCHENCHIE:  given  as  one  of  the  names 
of  Shelter  Island  as  follows: 

Where  is  the  chief  of  Unchenchie  the  while? 
I  saw  the  watch  light  on  the  Sheltering  Isle; 
Look  over  Neapeague's  far  desert  of  sand, 
Cometh  he  not  with  his  warrior  band? 

Ayres's  Legends  of  Montauk,  1849. 

(Note :  "Unchenchie  =  one  of  the  names  of  Shelter 
Island.") 

This  is  a  mistake  of  Mr.  Ayres.  It  was  the 
Sachem  of  Shelter  Island  that  was  formerly 
called  Unchenchie,  as  proven  by  the  following: 
"Witnesseth  that  whereas  James  ffaret  Esq. 
Deputie — was  by  purchas  from  Unchenchie, 
Sachem  of  Pammanuck — possest  of  Manhansuck 
being  a  member  of  Long  Island  called  Pam- 
manack — and  whereas  Yoko  Sachem  of  the  said 
Menhansack,  formerly  called  Unchenchie  Acton- 
cocween"  (Deed of  1656,  E.H.R.,  vol.  i.,pp.  96,  97). 

432.  UNCKACHOHOK:   a   form   of    Unkechaug. 
This  form  of  the  name  is  found  in  the   Indian 
release  of  1703,  viz.:     "Wee  namely  Ginagonhut 
Sachem  of    Unckachohok  and  Sumono  his  sister, 
wife   of  Pomgomo   Sachem   of  Shinnecock,   etc." 
(S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  179).     See  Unkechaug. 

433.  UNCOHONG,    Uncohoug:    a    variation    of 
Unkechaug   found   in   certain   histories   of   Long 
Island.     See  Unkechaug. 


On  Long;  Island  265 

434.  UNKAWA,  Unkaway:  neck  of  land  partly 
in  towns  of  Babylon  and  Oyster  Bay.     Mentioned 
in  the  record  of  the  boundary  between  Huntington 
and  South  Oyster  Bay,  Sept.  5,  1795,  viz. :    "Then 
running  to  the  west  part  of  one  of  the  Branches 
of  Masapague  swamp  ...  so   down  about  the 
middle  of  Unkawa  to  or  near  a  tree  the  southside 
of   the   Highway   that   leads   across    the    neck" 
(H.  R.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  128).     Again  in  a  deed  of  1823: 
"Toward  the  middle  of  a  large  grove  or  clump  of 
walnut  trees  on  Unkaway  neck"  (vol.  iii.,  p.  311). 
The  same  name  is  met  with  in  Uncowa,  or  Uncoa, 
Fairfield,  Conn.     Unqua  is  another  form  of  the 
word  and  it  appears  as  an  adjectival  prefix  to 
many   Indian   local   names.     The   neck   was   so- 
called  because  it   was  iinkawa,  corresponding  to 
Massachusetts  ongkoue  (Eliot)  "the  furthermost," 
neck,  either  of  the  two  towns.     See  Uncawamuck, 
Unkechaug. 

435.  UNKECHAUG  :  a  neck  of  land  in  the  Manor 
of  St.  George,  Mastic  Neck,  Brookhaven  town. 
On  this  neck  was  located  the  village  of  the  Sachem 
Tobacus  and  of  the  Sachems  that  followed  him, 
although  the  name  became  tribal  afterward.     In 
the  first  Indian  deed  for  land  on  the  southside, 
1664,  we  find:  "This  indentor  wetnesseth  a  bargin 
or  agreement,  between  the  Sachem  of  Unchachage 
Tobacus,  and  the  inhabetance  of  Brookhaven  else 
Setak"  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  10).     Variants  are: 


266  Indian  Place-Names 

Unquachack,  1664;  Unkachauk,  1667;  Unkechage, 
1670;  Unkechake,  1674;  Graham's  Survey,  1693, 
Unquachock,  etc.  The  village  site  is  what  gave 
rise  to  the  name,  being  located  beyond  a  hill  as 
one  approaches  it  from  the  east.  The  word  is 
compounded  from  ongk  (  =  ongkoue,  in  Eliot), 
"beyond,"  "utmost,"  "further,"  etc.;  wddchu  — 
in  composition  -adchu,  "a  hill";  -auke,  "land," 
"place."  Thus  we  get  Ongk-adch-auke,  "land 
or  place  beyond  the  hill."  See  Uncawamuck, 
Uncohong,  Unckachohok,  Unkawa. 

436.  UNQUA:  a  trout  stream  between  Amity- 
ville  and   South   Oyster   Bay,   belonging   to   the 
Floyd- Jones    estate.     This    form    of    the    word, 
Unqua-,  Unkawa-,  etc.,  occurs  occasionally  as  a 
prefix  to   some   Indian  place-name.     The  creek 
probably  takes  its  name  from  the  neck  Unkawa 
through  which  it  flows.  See  Uncawamuck,  Unkawa, 
Unkechaug. 

437.  UNSHEMAMUCK  :  fresh  pond,  on  the  bound- 
ary between  Smithtown  and  Huntington.  The  late 
L.  Lawrence  Smith  in  his  "Notes  on  Smithtown," 
in  Munsell's  Hist.  S.  C. ,  remarks :     "  It  is  no  longer 
a  pond,  it  has  all  grown  up  to  meadow."     The 
final  decree  settling  the  boundary  between  the 
two  towns  in  1675,  gives  the  following:     "From 
the  west  most  part  of  Joseph  Whitman's  hollow 
and  the  west  side  of  the  Leading  hollow  to  the 


On  Long  Island  267 

fresh  pond  Unthemamuck"  (H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  214). 
Variations  are:  Unsheamuk,  1665;  Unshemamuck, 
1677;  Unchemau,  1677;  Unshemamuke,  1688; 
Osha-mamucks,  1694,  etc.  This  name  denotes 
"an  eel  fishing-place"  and  is  probably  the  same 
as  Onshaukamaug,  a  locality  in  Windsor,  Conn., 
which  Dr.  Trumbull  translates  as  "a  fishing-place 
for  eels,  or  lampreys  (Delaware  schachamek, 
'an  eel,'  from  oushacheu),  'smooth,  slippery'; 
schachameki,  'the  place  for  eels,'  (Heckewelder's 
Indian  Names}'1;  Chippewa  (Baraga)  ojdsha, 
"it  is  slippery."  This  primary  meaning  of  the 
name  seems  to  have  been  overlooked  by  the  Rev. 
S.  A.  Anthony  in  the  Lendpe  Dictionary  edited 
by  Dr.  D.  G.  Brinton,  who  derives  it  from  "a 
straight  fish."  I  am  inclined  to  think  Trumbull 
correct  in  this  instance.  Roger  Williams  men- 
tions three  names  for  eels  in  the  Narragansett 
and  of  two  of  them  Dr.  Trumbull  writes: 
" Nquitte' connau  (nequttika,  Cotton),  plur.  nquitte'- 
connauog,  'they  go  one  by  one  or  singly,'  Neeshau 
(Pequot  neesh,  Stiles),  plur.  neeshau' og  'they 
couple  or  go  in  pairs.'  Comp.  Abnaki  nis- 
s®G>ak,  Us  sont  maries  (Rale).  In  the  former 
name  we  have  a  trace  of  the  belief  once  universal, 
as  old  at  least  as  the  days  of  Aristotle,  and 
which  not  even  Sir  Thomas  Browne  ventured  to 
reject  as  a  vulgar  error — that  the  eel  was  without 
distinction  of  sex.  The  name  'neeshau,  eel,'  is 
still  retained  for  a  species  or  variety  which  is 


268  Indian  Place-Names 

occasionally  taken  in  the  salt  ponds  of  Martha's 
Vineyard,  and  which  Dr.  Storer  supposed  to  be 
the  Silver  Eel  (Mur&na  argentea,  Le  Sueur;  Rep. 
on  Fishes  of  Mass.,  p.  158).  I  cannot  say  whether 
or  not  any  peculiarity  in  the  habits  of  this  species 
distinguishes  it  from  the  common  'single  going' 
eel,  but  the  lampreys  (Petromyzon  Americanus, 
Le  Sueur)  might  with  striking  appropriateness 
be  named  'neeshau'og,'  for  they  usually  go  in  pairs, 
and  aid  each  other  in  constructing  their  breeding 
places,  and  give  frequent  evidences  of  mutual 
attachment"  (Notes  to  R.  Williams's  Key,  Narr. 
Club  Reprint).  At  certain  seasons  of  the  year 
eels  enter  these  ponds  for  breeding  and  are  de- 
tained in  the  ponds  by  the  closing  of  the  inlets, 
and  as  soon  as  the  opening  is  made  they  leave 
the  pond  and  are  caught  by  the  thousands. 

438.  WAGASPOR:    a    creek   in    the   Flatland 
meadows,  King's  County.     The  derivation  of  the 
word  is  uncertain. 

439.  WAINSCOTT:    a   post-office   and    R.     R. 
station  in  East  Hampton  town.     The  name  was 
first  applied  to  a  sheet  of  water  still  known  as 
Wainscott   pond.     The   earliest   record   found    is 
dated  1652,  when  it  was  ordered  "that  a  cart-way 
shall  be  laid  out  to  Wainscott  where  it  may  be 
most    convenient"    (E.    H.   R.,   vol.   i.,   p.    22). 
This  name  is  not  aboriginal  although  commonly 


On  Long  Island.  269 

supposed  to  be  such.  The  pond  took  its  name 
from  an  ancient  method  of  preparing  "Wainscot 
(oaken  timber  or  boarding)"  of  which  Josselyn 
gives  an  account  in  his  second  Voyage  to  New 
England,  1673,  p.  61,  "the  ordering  of  red-oake 
for  Wainscot,  when  they  have  cut  it  down  and 
clear'd  it  from  the  branches,  they  pitch  the  body 
of  the  tree  in  a  muddy  place  in  a  river,  with  the 
head  downward  for  some  time;  afterwards  they 
draw  it  out;  and  when  it  is  seasoned  sufficiently 
they  saw  it  into  boards  for  wainscot,  and  it  will 
branch  out  into  curious  works. "  Wainscot  was 
an  article  of  export  from  a  very  early  period  as 
mentioned  by  many  early  writers.  For  a  fuller 
history  of  this  name,  see  my  essay  on  "Some 
Supposed  Indian  Names  of  Places  on  Long 
Island"  (Long  Island  Mag.,  1883,  pp.  51-54). 

440.  WAINSKCUMUNCAKE  :      see     Anuskkum- 
mikak. 

441.  WALLACE:  "Indian  Name  of  Woodbury, 
Queen's  Co."  (De  Kay).       "The  settlement   in 
North    Hempstead,   called    Westbury,   was    pre- 
viously denominated  Wattage,  by    the   natives" 
(Paper  on  the  "Indian  Names  of  Long  Island"  by 
B.  F.  Thompson,  Proc.  N.  Y.  Historical  Society, 
1845).     Perhaps  from  a  word  related  to  the  Dela- 
ware waloh,  "a  ditch,"  "hole,"   "cave"  (walheu, 
' '  he  digs  a  hole  ") .     B  i  inton  and  Anthony  (Lendpe 


270  Indian  Place-Names 

Diet.,  1889)  give  walak  or  waleck,  "a  hollow  or 
excavation." 

442.  WAMPMISSIC:  a  tract  of  land  and  a  large 
swamp  in  Brookhaven  town,  between  Yaphank 
and  Manor  stations  on  the  Long  Island  R.  R. 
This  tract  of  land  was  part  of  the  Col.  Wm. 
Smith's  patent  for  the  Manor  of  St.  George, 
dated  Oct.  5,  1693,  consequently  the  name  is  not 
found  in  the  early  records,  and  is  therefore  to  a 
great  extent  traditional.  The  earliest  mention 
that  can  be  found  is  in  a  deed  of  April  2,  1828, 
from  the  Smith  heirs,  to  J.  H.  Weeks,  for:  "all 
that  tract  [giving  the  entire  boundaries]  called 
and  known  by  the  name  of  Wampmissic."  The 
name  Wampmiss-ick  signifies  "place  of  chestnut- 
trees."  The  components  are  wamp'miss=wom- 
pimish  [Narragansett],  "a  chestnut-tree";  wom- 
piminineash,  "chestnuts,"  literally  "white  nuts"; 
Delaware  woapimininschi,  "  chestnut- tree  ";  -ick, 
locative  suffix.  Trumbull  says:  "In  the  Massa- 
chusetts or  Natick  dialect  the  locative  affix  was 
-it,  -at,  or  -ut;  in  the  Narragansett  it  appears 
to  have  been  -ick,  or  -uck.  This  distinction  was 
not,  however,  uniformly  observed;  we  have  for 
example  keesaq-ut,  'to  heaven';  sowwannak-it, 
(not  -ick}  'to  the  southwest.'  "  The  late  W.  J. 
Weeks,  Esq.,  the  then  (Feb.  25,  1891)  owner  of 
the  tract  and  swamp,  by  letter  gives  the  informa- 
tion that:  "The  chestnut  trees  were  chiefly 


On  Long'  Island  271 

in  the  swamp  in  the  central  portion  of  the  tract; 
they  were  killed  by  a  great  fire  in  the  woods  of 
Brookhaven  in  1 862 ;  and  he  does  not  know  whether 
the  sprouts  came  up  to  much  extent  from  the 
stumps,  or  not." 

443.  WAMPONAMON:  the  extreme  eastern  end 
of  Long  Island  at  Montauk  Point  where  the  light- 
house stands.  This  name  is  first  found  recorded 
in  the  Indian  deed  of  1661,  for  the  "Hither  woods 
tract,"  viz. :  "Whereby  we  did  fully  and  firmly  sell 
unto  the  said  parties  our  neck  of  land  .  .  .  from 
.  .  .  Wompenanit,  to  our  uttmost  bounds  west- 
ward called  Napeake"  (Hedges's  Address,  1848). 
It  appears  also  as  Wompenoonot  (Ranger's  Deeds  of 
Montauk,  1850).  In  1695,  we  find:  "One  fourth 
part  of  one  whol  share  of  that  tract  of  land  at  the 
east  end  of  the  Island  of  Nassau  stretching  from 
Womponoman  Point  Eastward  unto  Napeag 
Beach  Westward,  commonly  known  as  Meun- 
taucut"  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  331).  Later  the  name 
occurs  as  Wamponamon.  This  name,  in  its  early 
form,  Wompenanit,  signifies  "at  the  east"  or 
"eastward."  Cognate  are  Massachusetts  Wom- 
panniyeu,  "the  east  (when  daylight  is)  ";  Abnaki, 
Wampanoag,  "the  east  land";  Delaware  Wapan- 
neunk,  "east"  or  "on  the  east."  Wompenanit 
would  appear,  therefore,  to  be  composed  of  the 
word  for  "east"  with  the  locative  -it;  while 
Wamponamon  would  be  the  same  or  a  similar 


272  Indian  Place-Names 

word,  with  the  suffix  -onk,  "place."  Both  names 
would  thus  signify  "at  the  east, "  or  "to  the  east. " 
Wamponamon  is  also  the  name  of  Lodge  No.  437, 
F.  and  A.  M.,  at  Sag  Harbor,  a  very  suitable  name 
for  those  that  hail  from  "the  east. " 

444.  WANASQUATTAN  :  a  locality  in  the  western 
part   of  Babylon  town,  near  Amityville.     Men- 
tioned in  a   grant  by  the  town  of  Huntington, 
May   5,    1696,    viz.:   "Whereas    Thomas   Powell 
did  obtaine  from  Governor  Dongan  a  Lissence 
to  Purchas  of  ye  native  proprietors  of  Masepague 
on  Long  Island,  two  hundred  acars  of  Land  about 
Wanasquattan  on  ye  poynts  against  Massapeag 
swampes  heads"  (H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  188).     This 
is  one  of  the  few  instances  where  the  aboriginal 
name   of  a  place   appears   with   its   signification 
given.     The  name  Wanasquatta,  "point  (or  top) 
of  the  hills"  is  composed  of  wannasq'  correspond- 
ing to   the  Delaware    (Zeisberger)   wanachquiwi, 
"point";      Massachusetts      (Eliot)      wannasque, 
"point,"  or  "top"    (Job  xxiv.,  24;  Ezekiel  xxi., 
15):  -attan  (adene,  attiny),  inseparable  generic  for 
' '  hill "  or  "  hills.' '     In  Eliot  we  have  Wanasquodin- 
nunk,  "in  the  top  of  the  mountains"  (Micah  iv., 
i);  Wanashquodinnuook,  "tops  of  the  mountains." 

445.  WANDOWENOCK:  a  locality  at  Newtown, 
Queen's  Co.     "The  eastern  portion  of  the  town 
was    known    to    the    natives  as    Wandowenock" 


On  Long'  Island  273 

(Thompson's  L.  I.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  137).  De  Kay 
gives  also  Wandowenach.  A  similar  name  occurs 
in  Connecticut  as  Wad'-awan'-nuc,  of  which 
Trumbull  writes:  "The  true  meaning  of  the 
name  has  not  been  ascertained."  I  cannot  do 
any  better. 

446.  WANTAGH:  village  of  Ridgewood,  Hemp- 
stead;  was  changed  at  the  request  of  the  inhabi- 
tants to  Wantagh  in  1891.     Wantagh  is  a  variation 
of  Wiandance.     This  form  of  his  name  appears  on 
the  Hempstead  confirmation  of  July  4,  1647,  and 
on  the  release  of  May  n,  1658,  as  Waantauch, 
(Thompson's  L.  /.,  vol.  ii.,  pp.  9,  10;  Col.  Hist. 
N.   Y.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  416;  Book  of  Deeds,  vol.  ii., 
Office  of  Sec'y  of  State,  Albany,   N.  Y.).     See 
Wyandance. 

447.  WARACTO  :  see  Warratta. 

448.  WARRASKETUCK  :  a  creek  on  the  bounds 
between  South  Oyster  Bay  and  Babylon  towns, 
at  Amityville.     Andros's  patent  for  Oyster  Bay 
town,  Sept.  29,   1677,  says: — -"Beginning  on  the 
east,   at  the  head  of  Cold  Spring  Harbor,   and 
running  a  southward  course  across  the  Island  to  a 
certain  river  called  by  the  Indians,  Warrasketuck, 
etc.,"   (Thompson,  vol.  i.,   p.  488).     Variations: 
Wanasketuc,   1797;  Waunskittuc,   1860;  Narraske- 
tuck,    on   some   local   maps.     Allowing   for   the 

18 


274  Indian  Place-Names 

permutation  of  r  and  n,  Warrasketuck  represents 
Wannasquetuck,  "the  ending  or  point  creek," 
because  the  creek  formed  the  southern  end  of  the 
boundary.  The  components  of  the  word  would 
thus  be  wannasque,  corresponding  to  Massa- 
chusetts wanashque,  "at  the  end  of,"  "on  the 
top  of";  -tuck,  "tidal  stream,"  "creek." 

449.  WARRATTA:    a   neck   of   land  at  Centre 
Moriches,  lying  between  Barnes's  mill-pond  (Ter- 
rell's River)    and  the  creek  Senex,   Brookhaven 
town.     On  April  10, 1688,  John  Mahue,  an  Indian, 
sells  to  Elias  Doughty  of  Flushing,  half  the  neck 
Waraeta  (Liber  A,  p.    25,    of    Deeds,    Office    of 
County  Clerk  of  Suffolk).     "  Warratta"  occurs  in 
a  deed  from  Col.  Wm.  Smith  to  Richard  Smith, 
dated  March   15,  1702-3.     Samuel  Terrell   (who 
was  the  first  white  man  to  live  upon  it),  in  1714, 
names  it  "  Waracto  Neck"  (S.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  336). 
As  will  be  noticed,  most  of  the  Indian  names  of 
necks  of  land  on  the  southern  border  of  Brook- 
haven  derive  their  appellations  from  the  Indians 
who  formerly    lived    and    planted    thereon.     So 
with    this   name.      Waraeta    (Massachusetts   wu- 
nehteau;   Cree  wunnetou]    signifies    "he  loses,  or 
forgets,"  "the  loser"  or  "the  forgetter." 

450.  WASPEUNK  :  a  neck  of  upland  on  the  east 
side  of   Mastic   Neck,   in   town   of  Brookhaven, 
thus  named  on  the  Indian  deed  of  April  I,  1690, 


On  Long  Island  275 

to  Andrew  Gibb,  viz.:  "east  by  Sunkapogue  Creek 
and  to  Waspeunk  or  Squorums  Neck. "  Waspeunk 
(Massachusetts  ivusapinuk)  signifies  "to  the  edge, 
bank,  or  margin  of  a  stream. "  See  Musquatax. 


451.  WATCHOGUE:  (a)  a  neck  of  land  at  East 
Moriches,  Brookhaven  town.  This  neck  con- 
tains the  east  section  of  the  village  of  East 
Moriches,  and  is  locally  known  as  the  "neck," 
bounded  on  the  east  by  " Mattuck"  brook  and 
west  by  a  creek  called  "Pomiches."  February 
12,  1679:  "Dr.  Henry  Taylor  having  received 
liberty  from  the  Governor  Andros,  October  I, 
1677,  to  purchase  land  on  the  southside  of 
Long  Island  associating  with  himself  Major 
Thomas  Willets  of  Flushing,  and  Capt.  Thomas 
Townsend  of  Oyster  Bay,  purchased  of  the 
Indian  Mayhew  the  neck  called  Watchogue" 
(Munsell's  Hist.  S.  C.).  Variants  are:  Watchauge, 
1681;  Watshage,  1697;  Watchogue,  1882,  etc. 

(b)  Watchogue:  a  neck  of  land  in  the  town 
of  Islip,  west  of  Bay  Shore;  Sept.  I,  1701: 
"The  Indians  sell  to  Thomas  Willets  two  necks 
of  land  called  Manetuc  and  Watchogue,  bounded 
west  by  the  river  called  Compowams,  east  by  the 
river  called  Watchogue,  south  by  the  salt  bay  and 
to  extend  northward  keeping  the  full  breadth  of 
the  said  necks,  as  far  as  the  north  side  of  the 
pines"  (Thompson,  vol.  i.,  p.  447). 


276  Indian  Place-Names 

(c)  Watchogue:  "a  locality  on  Staten  Island, 
between  Old  Place  and  Chelsea,  a  level  sandy 
territory,  sparsely  populated,  and  where  not  cul- 
tivated covered  with  a  slender  growth  of  pines 
and  cedars"  (Clute's  Annals  of  Staten  Island,  p. 
228).  Watchogue  is  Watch-auke,  ''land  on  a  hill," 
or  "hill  land,"  corresponding  to  Delaware  Wacht- 
schunk,  "on  a  hill."  The  necks  probably  being 
more  hilly  than  other  tracts  in  the  same  neighbor- 
hood, perhaps  a  bluff  or  abrupt  rising  from  the 
creek  or  river.  The  name  on  Staten  Island  has 
been  transferred  from  some  neighboring  hill. 
The  name  occurs  in  other  parts  of  the  country. 

452.  WATTUQUASSET  :  a  small  neck  of  land 
lying  on  the  southwest  side  of  Great  Pond, 
Montauk,  mentioned  in  the  Indian  deed  of  May 
31,  1683,  to  John  Osborne  (recorded  in  Sessions 
No.  i,  p.  134).  The  name  Wattuquasset  is  re- 
solvable into  Wattuqua-es-et,  "at  or  near  the 
poles";  probably  the  "poles"  of  a  haystack. 
Where  the  "haystack  stood"  is  referred  to  in 
another  record  for  land  in  close  proximity.  The 
components  of  the  word  are:  Wattuqua,  corre- 
sponding to  Massachusetts  wuttuhq,  "bough," 
"branch " ;  -es-et,  locative,  " at  or  near. " 

453-  WAUBHEAG:  a  river  or  creek  on  Rock- 
away  Neck,  Queen's  Co.  Mentioned  in  1655, 
viz.:  "a  certain  tract  of  land,  on  ye  west  side  of 


On  Long  Island  277 

Rockeway  Neck,  so  running  westward  to  a  river — 
which  river  is  called  by  the  Indeans  waubheag" 
(Munsell's  Hist.  Queen's  Co.).  This  name  is 
probably  derived  from  an  Indian  who  lived  on 
the  banks  of  a  river.  One  of  a  similar  name  lived 
on  a  neck  in  Brookhaven  town  called  "Wopehege 
allis  porridg  Indien"  (Brookhaven  Rec.,  vol.  i., 
p.  70). 

454.  WAUWEPEX:    "The    original    settlement 
on  the  west  side  of  Cold  Spring  Harbor,  Oyster 
Bay,    Queen's   Co.,    was   denominated   by   them 
Wawepex"    (Thompson,    vol.    i.,    p.    50).      Also 
occurs  as  Wauwepex.     The  name  Wauwepex  repre- 
sents Waure-paug-es-it,  "at  the  good  little  water- 
place  or  pond. "     The  locality  took  its  name  from 
some  "good  spring  of  water"  as  did  probably  the 
English  name  of  "Cold  Spring."    The  components 
of  the  word  are  wauwe  (  =  Massachusetts  wunni, 
or   wirri),    "good";    -paug,    "pond"    or  "water- 
place";  -es-it,  "at  or  near."     Pex  (compare  e.g. 
Connecticut  names  in  -poxet,  etc.)  often  appears 
as  a  corrupted  form  of  the  diminutive  of  -paug. 

455.  WECKATUCK:    a    neck    of    land,    and    a 
running  spring  of  water,  at  the  foot  of   "Long 
Beach,"   Southampton  town,   about   three  miles 
from  Sag   Harbor,  on   the  Noyack  road.     It  is 
frequently  mentioned  in  the  early  records,  first 
in  1657,  as  follows:     "Deposition  of  Mr.  Richard 


278  Indian  Place-Names 

Odell  .  .  .  the  Sachems  did  not  sett  the  bounds 
of  East  Hampton  in  the  covenant  of  the  purchase 
by  reason  of  Job  Sayer  and  my  Standinge  for  the 
bounds  of  Southampton  but  was  left  untill 
Southampton  men  should  make  out  their  Lawfull 
bounds,  the  Manhansett  Sachem  pointed  to  my 
best  rememberance  about  Wecutake  spring  for 
the  line  to  runne  nere  upon  the  South  or  upon 
the  South  line"  (E.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  136).  Again 
in  1680:  "the  meadow  on  the  west  side  of 
Wecatuck  neck."  Again  in  1706:  "By  the  ap- 
pointment of  ye  proprietors  of  North  sea  pur- 
chase was  appointed  John  Lupton  and  George 
Harris  and  Thomas  Cooper  to  lay  out  nine  lots 
betweene  ffaranteans  point  and  Weckatuck  spring 
so-called  upon  Hog  neck  beach"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii., 
pp.  91,  145).  Variations  are:  Weeckatuck,  1706; 
Weckatuck,  1797.  The  site  of  an  Indian  village  is 
located  within  a  short  distance  of  this  spring, 
and  it  must  have  been  a  favorite  resort  of  the 
red-man,  as  it  is  to-day  for  the  thirsty  pedestrian. 
This  name  is  susceptible  of  two  interpretations: 
either,  weque-tugk,  "end  of  the  woods  or  trees"; 
or  weque-tuk,  "end  of  the  cove  or  creek."  Both 
significations  will  apply  to  the  locality,  Wecka- 
tuck spring  being  at  the  "end  of  the  woods," 
from  any  direction  of  approach,  from  Noyack, 
Sag  Harbor,  or  Bridgehampton.  It  is  also  at  the 
"head  of  the  cove"  from  the  same  directions. 
The  first  component  in  either  case  will  be  weque 


On  Long'  Island  279 

(  =  Massachusetts  uhqude),  "end";  the  -tugk  of 
Wequetugk  will  correspond  to  Massachusetts 
m'h'tug  (root,  h'tug),  "tree";  the  -tuk  of  Wequetuk 
is  -tuck,  "tidal  stream,"  "creek." 


456.  WEEKEWACKMAMISH  :  a  creek  at  the 
hamlet,  known  as  Southport,  Southampton  town. 
It  is  now  called  "Mill  Creek"  and  empties  into 
the  Peconic  Bay.  It  is  designated  by  its  Indian 
name  in  the  testimony  of  Paucamp  taken  down 
in  1660,  who  gave  the  names  of  five  creeks: 
"The  fourth  Weekewackmamish"  (Book  of  Deeds, 
vol.  ii.,  p.  213,  Office  of  the  Sec'y  of  State,  Albany, 
N.  Y.).  In  the  deposition  of  Rev.  Thos.  James, 
Oct.  1 8,  1667,  acting  as  interpreter,  we  find  the 
following  reference  to  this  locality,  viz.:  "And 
that  in  those  tymes  the  bounds  of  thefe  Akkobauk 
Indians  came  Eastward  of  the  river  Pehik  konuk 
to  a  creek  which  she  named,  And  they  gathered 
flags  for  Matts  within  that  tract  of  land"  (E.  H. 
R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  261).  The  name  denotes  "a  place 
where  the  Indians  gathered  or  cut  reeds,  rushes, 
or  flags, "  of  which  they  made  their  mats,  baskets, 
etc.  The  components  of  the  word  are  weekewack  = 
Massachusetts  weekinaque  (Eliot),  "reeds " ;  Narra- 
gansett  wekinash  (Williams),  "reed";  -mamish 
=  Narragansett  manisimmin,  "to  cut,"  or  "to 
mow";  Virginian  (Strachey)  manisc,  "to  cut." 
Altogether,  "where  we  cut  reeds." 


280  Indian  Place-Names 

457-  WEEPOOSE:  name  of  a  little  brook  in 
Islip  town,  also  known  as  Keemiscomock  (Bayles's 
Hist.  Suffolk  Co.}.  I  have  been  unable  to  learn 
anything  further  in  regard  to  it.  It  may  be  the 
same  as  Seapoose,  "little  river."  See  Seapoose. 

458 .  WEGONTHOTAK  :  a  river  or  creek  on  Mastic 
Neck,  Brookhaven  town.     This  name  appears  in 
the  early  records  once  only,  then  in  the  Indian 
deed  for  meadows  at   Mastic  Neck,    1657,  viz.: 
"This  writing  testifyeth  that  Wiandance  the  Men- 
take  Sachem  have  sold  to  Mr.  Richard  Woodhull 
of  Seatauke,  two  great  necks  of  meadow,  lying 
from  a  River  called  Connecticut  and  so  to  a  River 
called   Wegonthotak,  eastward"   (B.   H.    R.,  vol. 
i.,    p.    92).     It    appears    also    as    Wegonthotuck 
(Munsell's  Hist.  S.   C1.).     The  word  is  probably 
a  variation  of  the  name  appearing  as   Wanun- 
gatuck,  Waunungtatuck,  Wenunguetuck,  or  Wongat- 
tack  in  Connecticut,  which  Dr.  J.  H.  Trumbull 
translates   as   "at   the  bend,   or  winding  of  the 
river."     The  components  of  the  word  are  we- 
gontho,  corresponding  to  Delaware  ivoakeu,  Massa- 
chusetts woonki,  "crooked";  -tak  (-tuck),  "tidal 
river,  ""creek." 

459.  WEHAHAMIS  :  a  small  creek  in  the  town  of 
Islip,  mentioned  in  a  deed  of  1714,  discovered  by 
O.    B.    Ackerly,    Esq.,     as    follows:    "East    of 
Great  River,  and  south  east  of  Brickkiln  Point, 


On  Long'  Island  281 

two  small  creeks  or  runnes  of  water,  called 
Wehahamis  eastward  and  Essachias  westward." 
This  name  represents  probably  Wehquah-amis, 
"the  end  tree  or  post,"  a  boundary  designation. 

460.  WERPOS:  a  locality  in  the  present  tenth 
ward  of  Brooklyn.  Mentioned  in  Kieft's  patent, 
dated  May  27,  1640:  "for  a  certain  peice  of  land 
upon  the  Long  Island  near  Merechkawikingh  about 
Werpos"  (Col.  Hist.  N.  F.,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  31).  Ac- 
cording to  Schoolcraft,  "Warpoes  was  a  term  be- 
stowed upon  a  piece  of  elevated  ground,  situated 
above  and  beyond  the  small  lake  or  pond  called 
the  Kolck  (in  New  York  City).  This  term  is  ap- 
parently a  derivation  from  Wawbose,  a  hare,  a 
rabbit,"  (N.  Y.  Hist.  Soc.  Coll.).  Schoolcraft  is, 
no  doubt,  in  error  in  deriving  this  name  from  the 
Chippewa  wdbos,  ' '  a  rabbit. ' '  This  name  does  not 
occur  in  the  eastern  Algonkian  languages,  as  the 
name  of  that  animal.  Besides  it  would  not 
appear  as  the  name  of  a  place  unless  as  the  name 
of  an  Indian  residing  there.  I  would  suggest 
its  derivation  as  from  a  word  corresponding  to  the 
Delaware  (Zeisberger)  wipochk,  "a  bushy  place, " 
"a  thicket."  See  Weepoose. 

461.  WESUCK:  an  abbreviation  of  Achabacha- 
wesuck,  a  brook  at  Atlanticville,  Southampton. 
This  name  was  evidently  too  difficult  for  the  Eng- 
lish to  retain,  so  the  first  part  was  dropped  and  the 


282  Indian  Place-Names 

brook  became  known  as  simply   "Weesuck,"  or 
"  Wesuek"     See  Achabachawesuck. 

4.62.    WHOMESES:  see  Homes. 
462a.    WIANDANCE:  see  Wyandance. 

463.  WICKAPOGUE:  a  farming  district  at  the 
western  end  of  Meacox  Bay,  Southampton  town. 
This  name  is  first  found  in  the  division  of  land 
of  1668,  viz.:  "Tho.  Goldsmith  at  the  end  of 
his  home  lot,  the  rest  by  goodman  Halseys  at 
Weequapaug."  Same  date:  "Mr.  John  Howell  as 
much  as  may  be  his  owne  at  Weequapoug"  (S.  H. 
R.,  vol.  i.,  pp.  149,  150).  Variations  are:  Weeka- 
paug,  1681;  Wecapoug,  1681;  Wickapogue,  1739; 
Wickapog,  1753.  Trumbull  says:  "Wequa-paug 
means  'at  the  end  of  the  pond,  water  place.' 
The  prefix  (Mass,  wehquae,  uhquae,  as  in  wehqu- 
ohke,  'end  of  the  earth')  signifies,  primarily,  'as  far 
as,'  'to  the  extreme  point,  or  limit  of ' ;  it  is  common 
to  all  Algonkin  dialects,  as  in  Chip,  waiekwa- 
ketchigami,  the  name  of  Fond  du  Lac  (Wis.  and 
Minn.),  'at  the  end  of  the  great  water'  (Lake 
Superior).  A  form  of  the  same  prefix  is  found 
in  the  Mohegan  name  weexcodawa,  for  Mass. 
wehqsM-,  weekshik,  'it  extends  to,'  'goes  as  far 
as,  is  the  end.'  In  some  place-names,  wequae 
or  a  derivative  (Mass.  a>hquae,  ukquae,  oohque) 
denotes  a  'point,'  or  ending  of  either  land  or  water 


On  Long  Island 

(in  a  cove,  harbor,  or  inlet).  Comp.  Chip. 
wikweia,  '  it  forms  a  bay ' ;  wikwe-  (as  prefix)  '  in  a 
corner  of  (Baraga)."  Wickobaug,  the  name  of 
the  Indian  village  now  West  Brookfield,  Mass, 
(a  pond  in  the  western  part  of  the  village  still 
bears  the  name  of  Wickaboag),  is  the  same  word. 
See  Wickaposset. 

464.  WICKAPOSSET  :  a  point  of  land  at  Fisher's 
Island,  Southold  town.     "A  small  rocky  island  at 
the  east  end  of  Fisher's  Island,  also  Wecopesuck, 
Wicapeset.     For  wehque-peasik,  '  little  thing  at  the 
end'   of  the    great    island"   (TrumbuH's    Indian 
Names  in  Connecticut}.     This  would  correspond 
to  Massachusetts  wehque,  "as  far   as,"    "at   the 
end";  peasik  (or  peesik)  "a  small  thing."     See 
Wickapogue. 

465.  WIGWAGONOCK,  Wegwagonuck :  that  part 
of  Sag  Harbor  east  of  Division  Street,  belonging 
to  East  Hampton  town.     The  oldest  inhabitant  of 
the  town  has  no  knowledge  of  the  locality  by  this 
name.     For  a  long  time  the  writer  was  unable 
to  locate  it.     It  is  referred  to  in  the  early  records 
some  years  previous   to   the   settlement   of  the 
village.     According    to    a    release    dated    1698, 
Joseph  Stretton  was  left  by  his  father:    "a  share 
of  that  peice  of  meddow  that  Lyes  nearest  Hogg 
Neck  in  this  townes  Bounds. "     "On  April  4,  1710, 
Joseph  Stretton  chose  his  land  going  to  his  farther 


284  Indian  Place-Names 

meadow  towards  the  west  bounds";  "April  30, 
1711,  "he  chose  his  right  in  said  division  to  be  near 
or  joining  to  his  meadow  at  Wegwagonuck,"  April  30, 
1718,  "it  was  agreed  that  all  the  land  lying  to  the 
westward  of  Joseph  Stretton's  meadow  at  Wegwago- 
nock  shall  lie — as  common  land  forever — all  the 
land  lying  between  the  bound  line  and  the  North- 
side  to  the  utmost  limite  of  East  Hampton 
bounds";  in  1728,  "Ananias  Conkling  Jr.  entereth 
his  land  joining  his  land  at  Wigwagonock — near 
the  bound  line";  in  1731,  "Cornelius  Conkling 
receives  an  acre  in  exchange  at  same  place" 
(E.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  4;  vol.  iii.,  pp.  241,  275,  382, 
443  >  465).  All  of  which  proves  the  name  to 
belong  to  Sag  Harbor.  Conkling  is  perpetuated  in 
Conkling's  Point,  adjoining  the  meadows,  which 
were  more  extensive  at  that  period  than  they  are 
to-day.  The  march  of  improvements,  encroach- 
ment of  the  sea,  etc.,  have  all  contributed  their 
part  toward  obliterating  what  was  once  known 
as  the  "Great  Meadows"  at  Sag  Harbor.  The 
bound  line  above  mentioned  is  now  Division 
Street,  which  separated  East  Hampton  from 
Southampton.  The  name  Wegwagonuck  repre- 
sents Wequae-adn-auke  and  means  "place  at  the 
end  of  the  hill,"  probably  the  hill  known  as 
"Sleights  Hill. "  The  meadow  was  in  close  prox- 
imity on  the  north,  and  extended  at  one  time  as 
far  west  as  "Bush  Street,"  within  three  hundred 
feet  of  the  bound  line  at  Division  Street.  At  the 


On  Long  Island  285 

foot  of  this  hill  can  bef seen  the  remains  of  an 
extensive  shell-heap,  or  village  site.  A  large 
part  of  its  area  has  been  carted  away  to  fill  up 
the  meadow  adjoining  and  to  lay  out  "East 
Water  Street."  It  was  this  Indian  settlement 
probably  that  gave  the  name  to  the  locality. 
The  site  of  an  Indian  village  at  Sharon,  Conn., 
was  known  by  the  same  name,  viz.:  Wequadnack, 
Wachquatnack,  afterwards  corrupted  to  Weguag- 
nock.  The  components  of  the  name  are  wegwa 
(  =  Massachusetts  wequde},  "end";  -adn,  "hill"; 
-auke,  "place." 

466.  WIGWAME:  a  swamp  in  the  town  of 
Huntington.  In  1695  there  was:  "Laide  out 
by  the  survaiers  of  the  town  of  Huntington,  a 
highway  beginning  at  the  head  of  ye  Wigwam 
swamp."  A  note  by  C.  R.  Street,  Esq.,  says: 
"The  'wigwam  swamp'  here  mentioned  was 
where  the  main  part  of  Cold  Spring  village  is  now 
located."  Wigwam  places  are  frequently  named 
in  the  early  records.  In  1640  a  place  in  Southold 
town  was  known  as  the  "Five  Wigwams"  (see 
Manhansuck).  This  word  is  common  to  many 
Algonkian  dialects.  Trumbull  has  given  us  the 
etymology  of  the  name  in  connection  with  the 
Narragansett  form  wetuomuck,  viz.:  "Wetu  has 
the  form  of  a  verb  in  the  indicative,  which  may  be 
nearly  translated  by  'he  is  at  home,'  'he  houses.' 
Wek,  week  (Eliot)  is  the  regularly  formed  sub- 


286  Indian  Place-Names 

junctive  or  conditional  third  person  singular  of  the 
verb  'when  (or  where)  he  is  at  home.'  The 
locative  affix  makes  weekit  (Eliot)  or  wekick,  'at 
or  in  his  home'  (see  Eliot's  Grammar,  p.  II, 
where  the  word  wigwam  is  shown  to  be  a  corrup- 
tion of  weekuwout  or  wekuwomut,  'in  his  house,' 
which  is  doubtless  an  error  of  the  press  for  'in 
their  house'  as  the  word  has  the  plural  affix); 
•wetuomuck  as  Mr.  Williams  wrote  it;  Abnaki 
wigvam,  cabane,  maison  (Rale)"  (Narragansett 
Club  Reprint  of  R.  Williams's  Key}. 

467.  WIMBACCOE  :  Bergen  Island.     See  Winip- 
pague. 

468.  WINCORAM:  see  Cor  am. 

469.  WINGANHAUPPAUGE  :  a  neck  of  land  and  a 
brook  in  the  village  and  town  of  Islip.     The  name 
originally  belonged  to  the  brook  or  to  its  head 
waters.     It    is    sometimes    called     Champlain's 
Creek.     On  Nov.   i,   1686,  Letters  Patent  were 
issued  to  Wm.  Nicoll  for:    "A  certain  parcel  of 
land  and  meadow  ground  unimproved  and  not  as 
yet  granted  to  any  person  or  persons  whatsoever, 
being  bounded  east,  by  lands  of  the  said  Wm. 
Nicoll,  south  by  the  sound  or  bay,  west  by  a 
creek  called  Wingatthappagh,  and  north  by  a  right 
line  from  the  head  of  said  creek  or  river  called 
Wingatthappagh,11   etc.    (Book    of   Patents,    vol. 


On  Long'  Island  287 

in.,  p.  603,  Office  of  Sec'y  of  State,  Albany,  N.  Y.). 
On  March  26,  1692,  Gov.  Ingoldsby  granted  to 
Andrew  Gibb  of  Queen's  Co.:  "A  certaine  tract 
of  vacant  Land  upon  Long  Island  commonly 
called  and  known  by  the  name  of  Winganhappogue 
Neck  being  Bounded  on  the  East  by  Wingan- 
happogue River,  South  by  the  Bay,  West  by  the 
Orewake  River  and  North  by  a  Right  Line  from 
the  head  of  Winganhappogue  River,"  etc.  (Book 
of  Patents,  p.  372).  In  a  mortgage  dated  Oct. 
30,  1703,  by  Andrew  Gibb  to  Wm.  Richardson 
we  find:  "All  that  neck  of  land  .  .  .  commonly 
known  and  called  by  ye  name  of  Wingan- 
hoppogue  neck  or  ye  pleasant  springs,"  etc. 
(Abstract  of  the  Title  of  Wm.  Trist  Bailey,  etc., 
p.  1 88) .  Variations  are :  Wingan  Hauppauge,  1 773 ; 
Winganhoppog,  1821.  Wingatt,  in  the  Nicoll  pat- 
ent, is  probably  an  error  of  spelling.  "Pleasant 
Springs,"  as  given  in  the  Gibb's  mortgage  of 
1703,  is  a  free  interpretation  probably  bestowed 
by  Gibb  himself,  who  was  more  or  less  familiar 
with  the  language  of  the  natives,  and  was  a 
prominent  man  of  that  period.  The  components 
of  the  name,  according  to  this  derivative,  would 
be  wingan  =  " sweet,"  "savory,"  "pleasant  to 
the  taste"  '  =  Narragansett  weekan,  "it  is  sweet"; 
Massachusetts  weekon  (Eliot),  "it  is  sweet"; 
-happagh  or  -hauppaug,  "the  springs."  This  is 
a  free  translation  of  a  name  that  would  be  natur- 
ally applied,  as  descriptive,  to  living  springs  that 


288  Indian  Place-Names 

burst  forth  and  spread  their  waters  over  the  land ; 
thereby  creating  boggy  swamps  and  deceptive 
quicksands.  Its  literal  meaning,  however,  is 
"flooded  or  overflowed  land."  In  happaug,  the 
radical  -du-  means  "to  cover";  -pauk,  -paug,  a 
generic  term  for  a  water- place.  See  Happauge. 

470.  WINGATTHAPPAGH  :  see  Winganhauppduge. 

471.  WINIPPAGUE:    Bergen    Island,    Jamaica 
Bay.     Also   Wimbaccoe.    The   name  denotes   "a 
fine    water-place,"    from    wini,    "fine,"    -paug, 
"water-place." 

472.  WINKET:  a  point  of  land  in  Huntington 
town  on  the  southern  shore  of   Eaton's    Neck 
(see  maps  of  the  Island).     This  name  is  not  In- 
dian, but  corrupted  from  "winkle, "  as  the  mollusk 
periwinkle    (Pyrula    canaliculata)    is    sometimes 
called  (H.  R.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  462).     It  was  named 
by  the  Indians  meteauhock,    "ear- shaped   shell." 
The  wampum,  or  white  money,  was  "made  out 
of  the  inmost  wreaths  "  of  the  shell,  or  "  of  the  stem 
or  stock,  when  all  the  shell  is  broken  off  "  (Wood's 
N.  E.  Prospect,  Pt.  II.,  ch.  3,  and  after  p.   144). 
These  stems  or  whorls  are  quite  plentiful  in  every 
shell  that  dots  the  shores  of  eastern  Long  Island. 

473-     WINNECOMAC:  hamlet  in  the  eastern  part 
of  Huntington  town,  and  partly  in  Smithtown, 


On  Long  Island  289 

now  abbreviated  to  Comae.  In  November,  1689, 
the  Secatogue  Indians  conveyed  to  John  Skid- 
more  and  John  Whitman  of  Huntington  a  tract 
of  land:  " known  by  ye  name  of  Winne-comac 
bounded  on  ye  north  side  by  Witmans  Hollow; 
running  eastward  by  ye  marked  trees  to  ye  head 
of  ye  southwest  branch  of  Nosoquog  River;  upon 
ye  East  side  upon  a  south  line  to  ye  pine  plaine; 
upon  ye  south  side  by  ye  pathward  points  of  trees 
to  Huntington  Patten  joining  on  the  west  side  to 
Whitmans  Hollow"  (vol.  i.  of  Deeds,  Office  of 
Sec'y  of  State,  1692  to  1714,  p.  101).  Variations 
are:  Winnecomak,  1797;  Winecomack,  1787;  Weno 
Comack,  1791;  Wenecomack,  1795;  Wenea-Com- 
mack,  1812,  etc.  The  name  Winnecomac  is  de- 
rived from  winne  =  winni  (varying  in  local 
dialects  to  wirri,  waure,  willi,  wee),  "good,  fine, 
pleasant ' '  (Trumbull) ;  -comae  =  Massachusetts 
komuk  (Eliot),  "a  house,"  "a  place,"  "field,"  etc. 
Winnikomuk,  thus  signifies  "a  pleasant  field," 
' '  good  land, "  ' '  fine  country. ' '  See  Comae. 

474.  WINNECROSCOMS  :  neck  of  land  in  Brook- 
haven  town.  One  of  the  many  necks  of  land  into 
which  Mastic  is  divided.  Graham's  map,  Sept. 
J9i  J693,  gives  them  as  follows  eastward  from 
the  Connecticut  River,  Seabamuck,  Unquachock, 
Ffloyds,  Porigies,  Ebwons  or  Snake  Neck,  Wino- 
crosscombs,  Mastic.  On  (probably)  Aug.  6,  1684, 
Samuel  Eburn  of  Seatalcot  petitions  for  a  license 
19 


290  Indian  Place-Names 

to  purchase  "a  neck  of  land  called  Snake  Neck 
on  the  southside  of  Long  Island,  bounded  to  the 
east  on  Winnecroscombs  Neck,  to  the  west  on  the 
head  of  Patter squas  river"  (Cal.  of  Land  Papers, 
Office  of  the  Sec'y  of  State,  Albany,  N.  Y.,p.  29). 
In  an  Indian  deed  for  roads,  1690,  the  name  appears 
as  Wenacro  scorns;  again  as  Wenicroscoms.  This 
was  the  name  of  its  Indian  owner  or  dweller,  his 
name  appears  on  the  Indian  deed  for  beach,  in 
1685,  as  Winecroscum  (B.  H.  R.,  vol.  i.,  p.  69). 
See  Minaussums  for  another  early  form,  in  1690. 

475.  WISQUOSUCKS:  a  point  of  land  on  the 
Connecticut  River,  Brookhaven  town.     The  name 
has  for  many  years  been  abbreviated  to  Squas- 
sucks.     Wisquosuck,  Wesquasesac,  or  Wisquassuck 
was  an  Indian  of  the  Unkechaug  tribe  who  resided 
on  this  point.     See  Squassucks. 

476.  WISSIQUACK:  a  corrupted  form  of  Nisse- 
quogue,     Smithtown.     On    February    24,     1704, 
Benj.  Aske  petitions  the  governor  for  a  warrant 
to  survey  a  tract  of  land  on  the  north  side  of 
the  county  of  Suffolk,  on  Wissiquack  River.     See 
Tackan,  Nissequogue. 

477.  WONUNKE  :  neck  of  land  at  West  Hamp- 
ton, Southampton  town.     The  two  necks  of  land 
lying  east  of  Beaver  Dam  River  (Apocuck  Creek) 
were  known  as  "Great"  and  "Little  Wonunk. " 


On  Long  Island  291 

"At  a  town  meeting  1 68 1,  it  is  agreed  that  all  the 
meadows — as  Assops  Neck,  Catchponack,  Potunk, 
and  Ononke  shall  be  layd  out  to  every  man  in- 
terested there"  (S.  H.  R.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  88).  Varia- 
tions are:  Onunk,  1683;  Wonunk,  1686;  Wononck, 
1738;  Wonnonch,  1738;  Wononke,  1738;  Wonock, 
!738;  Onuck,  1739;  Onach,  1742;  modernly  Onuck. 
This  name  as  a  prefix  occurs  in  Connecticut 
Wonunkapaukook  =  wonunki-paug-ohke,  "land  at 
the  bend  or  turning  of  the  pond"  (Trumbull). 
Here  wonunke  means  simply  "the  bend"  of 
either  land  or  water.  The  above  necks  are 
indented  by  two  coves  that  put  in  from  the  bay. 
The  radical  is  seen  in  Massachusetts  woonki, 
"it  bends,"  "it  is  crooked";  Delaware  woakeu; 
Chippewa  wagina,  etc. 

478.  WOORUSKHOUSE  :  a  place  frequently  men- 
tioned by  Rev.  Azariah  Horton,  in  1741-3,  as  being 
three  miles  from  West  Neck,  now  in  the  town  of 
Babylon.     The  orthography  is  quite  uniform.     It 
is  possibly  meant  for   Wanasque-auke,   "a  point 
of   land"    (from    wanasque,    "at    the    end    of"; 
-auke,  "land").     See  Horton 's  Journal. 

479.  WOPOWOG:    Stony    Brook,    Brookhaven 
town.     "Known  formerly  by  the  Indian  name 
of  Wopowog"  (Thompson,  vol.  i.,  p.  343).     This 
name   is   found   in   Connecticut   as    Weepowaug, 
Wopowaug,    Wypewoke,   etc.     It   designates  land 


292  Indian  Place-Names 

"at  the  narrows"  of  a  river  or  cove,  and  usually 
"the  crossing  place,"  weepwoi-auk.  The  diminu- 
tive, "at  the  little  crossing  place,"  is  found  in 
Wepoiset,  the  narrows  of  Kekamuit  River  in  Bristol, 
R.  L,  and  in  Weybosset,  formerly  Wapwayset, 
Providence  (Trumbull).  Our  Wopowog  probably 
designates  the  crossing  over  the  brook  now  covered 
by  a  bridge.  Eliot  has  weepwoiyeuut  (i  Sam.  xiii., 
23),  "in  the  passage  (between  two  places)." 

480.  WUCHEBEHSUCK  :  a  valley  on  the  east 
side  of  the  "North  Neck,"  Montauk,  East 
Hampton  town.  The  outlet  of  a  small  flaggy 
pond  and  swamp  flows  through  the  valley  at 
certain  seasons  of  the  year.  This  name  is  recorded 
in  the  Indian  deed  of  1670,  and  in  the  documents 
relating  to  the  same.  The  tract  covered  by  this 
grant  was  formerly  known  as  the  Wuchebehsuck 
purchase,  later  as  the  nine-score  acre  purchase,  or 
the  land  between  the  ponds.  The  deed  gives  us: 
"By  us  the  fors'd  parties  Wuchebehsuck,  a  place 
by  the  fort  pond,  being  a  Valley  Southward  from 
the  fort  Hill  to  Shahchippitchage,  being  on  ye 
North  side  ye  s'd  Land,  midway  between  the 
great  pond  and  fort  pond,  so  on  as  straight  line 
to  Chebiakinnauhsuk,  from  thence  to  a  swamp 
where  the  hay  stacks  stood,  called  Mahchongit- 
chage,  and  so  through  the  swamp  to  the  great 
pond,  then  straight  from  the  hay  stacks  to  the 
great  pond,  so  along  by  the  pond  to  a  place  called 


On  Long  Island  "293 

Manunkguiaug,  on  furthest  side  the  reeds  growing 
on  ye  South  End  of  the  great  pond  Eastward,  and 
so  along  to  the  sea  side  to  a  place  called  Chop- 
pauhshapaugausuck,  so  straight  from  thence  to  the 
South  Sea"  (Hedges's  Address,  1849,  Appendix, 
p.  85).  All  the  aboriginal  names  in  the  above 
deed,  as  previously  given  in  this  work,  are  boun- 
daries simply.  This  one  is  no  exception.  Wuche- 
behsuck  represents  Wut-chebeh-suck,  "at  the  brook 
of  separation,"  or  "at  the  bound-mark  brook, 
or  outlet."  The  components  are:  wuch=wut 
(Eliot),  "at or  on";  chebeh  =  chachabe,  or  chadchabe 
(Eliot),  "that  which  divides  or  separates" 
(chabenuk  in  Eliot,  ."a  bound-mark");  -suck, 
"a  brook"  or  an  "outlet  of  a  pond."  Atchau- 
benuck,  the  southeast  corner  bound  of  Quinebaug 
lands  in  Connecticut  is  probably  of  the  same 
derivation. 

481.  WYAMAUG:  a  point  of  land  at  Jamesport, 
Riverhead    town.     This    name    is    found    early 
in  the  records  as  Miamogue  and  Miamegg,  and 
it  is  probably  an  error  in  spelling,  although  in 
this  form  it  resembles   Weraumaug  Lake  on  the 
northwest  border  of  New  Preston,  Conn.,  which 
Trumbull  translates  as   "a  good  fishing-place," 
from    wirri,    "good";    -amaug,     "fishing-place." 
See  Miamegg. 

482.  WYANDANCE:  the  locality  known  as  West 


294  Indian  Place-Names 

Deer  Park,  on  the  L.  I.  R.  R.  in  the  town  of 
Babylon,  was  changed  to  Wyandance  on  Jan.  I, 
1889. 

Wyandance  was  the  Sachem  of  Paumanack  after 
the  death  of  his  elder  brother  in  1652.  On  the 
heights  of  Montauk  was  located  his  palisadoed 
village.  Always  the  friend  of  the  white  settler, 
it  is  fitting  that  his  name  should  be  perpetuated 
in  some  part  of  his  domain.  The  fact  that  it 
was  considered  necessary  by  the  early  settlers 
of  the  various  middle  and  western  towns  of  the 
Island  to  have  his  sign  manual  afHxed  to  the 
deeds  given  by  the  resident  Indians,  seems  to 
have  evoked  some  detrimental  comments  thereon. 
Some  think  that  Lyon  Gardiner  pulled  the 
string,  and  the  Sachem  danced  to  it,  but  it  was  not 
so.  These  writers  ignore,  or  else  did  not  know 
of  the  agreement  of  1645,  by  which  the  four 
confederated  Sachems  of  Paumanack,  all  brothers, 
took  these  weak  tribes  under  their  care  and  pro- 
tection (see  Mochgonnekonck} .  This  was  done 
at  the  request  of  the  tribes,  and  in  doing  it  the 
Sachems  naturally  acquired  a  right  to  have  a  say 
in  the  disposal  of  these  lands,  which  our  ancestors 
understood  and  recognized.  Besides  all  this,  the 
signification  of  his  name  shows  the  estimation 
in  which  his  opinion  was  held  by  his  own  and 
adjoining  tribes.  The  variations  in  spelling  are: 
Weandance,  1642;  Wiantanse  or  Wiantance,  1644; 
Weyrinteynich,  1645;  Wyandanch,  1648;  Wain- 


On  Long'  Island  295 

dance,  1657;  Wyandance,  1657;  Wyandack,  1659; 
Wayandanch,  1659.  Lyon  Gardiner's  Relation  has 
Waiandance.  The  name  Wyandance  is  derived  from 
waian-  or  wayan  =  wauontam  (he  is)  wise;  Massa- 
chusetts waantam  (Eliot),  "wise";  waantog, 
"wise";  -dance, -danch,  or  -fowce  =  Narragansett 
taunche,  "to  tell  (something),"  "to  speak  out." 
As  a  whole,  Wayan-taunche,  "the  wise  speaker  or 
talker,"  from  whom  we  could  learn  something. 
Compare  the  Delaware  wewoatangik,  "wise  man"; 
wewoatank,  "a  sensible  man,"  Micmac  (Rand). 

483.  WYNYCOMIC:   see  Winnecomac. 

484.  YAPHANK:  a  village  in  Brookhaven  town. 
The  name  was  originally  applied  to  a  creek  some 
distance  south  of  the  hamlet.     In  Tobacus's  deed 
for  land  on   south   side,  June    10,   1664,  it  was 
bounded:    "on    the    Easte   with   a   river   called 
Yamphanke."     An   Indian   deed  for   Yamphank 
Neck,  Nov.  13,  1688,  bounds  it  "on  the  south  by 
a   smale   River  called     Yamphank."    Fletcher's 
patent  to  Wm.   Smith,   Oct.    5,    1693,    is:    "for 
land  formerly   purchased  from  the  Indians,  we 
find  the  bounds  are — to  a  creek  running  out  of 
the  said  river  [Connecticut]  called  Yaphank  and 
soe  along  the  south  west  bank  of  ye  sd  creek  unto 
its  head  the  whole  creek  included"    (B.  R.  H., 
vol.  i.,  pp.  n,  71,  78).     Variations  are :  Yemkhamp, 
1738;  Yamphank,  1745.    The  name  Yaphank  or 


296  Indian  Place-Names 

Yamphank,  denotes  "the  bank  of  a  river,"  and 
is  the  equivalent  of  the  Delaware  yapeechen, 
yapewi,  "on  the  river  bank  or  edge  of  the  water" 
(Micmac  ydtkamkek,  "the  bank  of  a  river"). 
So-called  because  the  creek  bounded  the  above 
tract  of  land  along  its  whole  length. 

485.  YATAMUNTITAHEGE:      see     Tatamucka- 
takis. 

486.  YENNICOCK:  the  supposed  Indian  name 
of  the  locality  where  the  village  of  Southold  is 
situated.     It  is   first  mentioned  in  a  deed  dated 
October  25,   1640,  viz.:    "Be   it  known  unto  all 
men  by  these  p'sents  that  I  Richard  Jackson  of 
Yennacock,  Carpenter  my  heires,  executors  and 
assigns  doth  sett  or  assigne  and  make  over  to 
Thomas  Weatherly  marriner,  his  heirs,  executors 
or  assigns  his  dwelling  house  and  all  app'tennces 
thereunto   belonging"    (S.    R.,    vol.    i.,    p.    113). 
Variations  are:  Yennycok,  1642;    Yennicok,   164.2; 
Yenycott,   1643;   Yennicock,  1643;   Yenicott,  1644; 
Yeanocock,    1644;    Yannocock,    1667;    Yeannecock, 
1668.     The  above  dwelling  house  in  another  entry 
is  said  to  have   been  on  "Hashamomuk   neck," 
but   it   was   really   on   what   is   now  known  as 
Pipe's   Neck.     Charles   B.    Moore,    Esq.,    in   his 
address    at    the   Southold    Celebration,    August, 
1890,  derived  this  name  from  the  old  Sachem  of 
Shelter  Island,    Yoco,    Youghcoe,  etc.     There   is, 


On  Lon§;  Island  297 

however,  no  identity  between  the  two  names. 
Yennicock  belonged  to  the  whole  of  that  tract  of 
land  extending  from  Peconic  River  to  Plum  Gut, 
the  same  as  Montauk  belonged  to  the  whole 
tract  of  that  peninsula,  for  the  name  was  applied 
to  those  Indians  that  formerly  planted  at  Aque- 
bogue,  as  well  as  to  those  living  in  other  parts 
of  this  tract.  The  name  Yennicock  or  Yeannecock 
parallels  a  Massachusetts  Yeanni-auk-ut,  from 
yeanni,  "extended,"  ''stretched  out,"  with  the 
locative  affix  -cock=auk-ut.  The  word  thus 
signifies  "at  the  extended  land  or  country." 
This  applies  well  to  this  large  tract  of  land  on 
which  it  was  bestowed.  Besides  this,  the  early 
mention  of  the  name  in  the  records  of  the  mother 
colony  at  New  Haven  seems  to  designate  the  whole 
tract  under  the  jurisdiction  of  that  colony  and 
not  any  particular  settlement.  There  is  absolutely 
no  proof  that  Southold  existed  as  a  settlement 
in  October,  1640,  and  that  the  statement  that 
Richard  Jackson  was  of  Yennicock  simply  re- 
ferred to  the  fact  that  his  house  and  land  were 
part  of  this  "extended  country"  and  that  he 
never  lived  at  what  is  now  known  as  Southold. 


APPENDIX  I 

LIST  OF  ALGONKIAN  NAMES  SUITABLE  FOR  COUN- 
TRY HOMES,  HOTELS,  CLUBS,  MOTOR-BOATS,  ETC. 

ADCHA'ENIN,  "one  who  goes  a  hunting."     (Also 

Adcha'en.) 

ADCHA'UKOMA,  "hunting  house." 
ANA'SKAME'SET,  "tree  that  bears  acorns." 
ANO'CKQUS,  "a  star." 
ANWO'HSIN,  "he  rests." 
APWO'NNAH,  "an  oyster." 
ARRA'X  "  gull." 
AWE'PESHA,  "it  calms." 

CHA'NSOPS,  "grasshopper." 
CHE'CKEPU'CHAT,  "the  wild  cat,"  an  Indian  so 

named. 

CHE'KHAMPO'G,  "he  sweeps  the  water." 
CHE'PEWI'SSIN,   "northeast  wind." 
CHE'TUHQUA'B,   "crown." 
CHIKKU'PEMI'SET,  "at  the  cedar  tree." 

JI'SKHAMPO'G,  "he  wipes  up  the  water." 

KEHCHI'PPAM,  "on  the  shore." 
KE'HTOH,  "the  sea." 
KENU'PPE,  "swiftly." 
KITO'MPANI'SHA,  "break  of  day." 
KO'DTOHKE,  "top  of  the  land." 

299 


30O  Indian  Place-Names 

KO'GKENU'PPE,  "go  quick." 
KO'UAMI'SET,  "at  the  pine  tree." 
KUPPO'HKOMA,  "a  grove,"  i.e.,  "shut-in  place." 
KUPPO'MUK,  "a  haven." 
KUSSI'TCHUAN,    "rapid  stream." 
KUTSHA'MUNAT,  "the  lightning." 
KUTTIS,  "cormorant." 

MACHI'PSCAT,  "a  stony  path." 
MA'SSATUK,  "a  great  tree." 
MA'UCHETAN,  "ebb  tide." 
MAUTA'BON,  "daylight,"  or  "morning." 
ME'TWEE,  "poplar  tree." 
MISHA'NNEK,  "a  squirrel." 

MISHA'NNOCK,  "morning  star, "  i.e.,  "great  star. " 
MISHA'UPAN,  "a  great  wind. " 
MISHO'ON,    "a  canoe." 

MISHQUA'TUK,   "cedar  tree,"  i.e.,  "red  tree." 
MI'SSITTO'PU,  "great  frost." 
MO'GEWE'TU,   "a  great  house." 
MO'GGETUK,  "a  great  tree." 
MOGKE'KOMA,   "a  great  house." 
MO'HKUSSA',  "burning  coal." 
MO'NUNKS,  "ash  tree." 
MUCKQUE'TU,  "he  is  swift." 
MUNNA'NNOCK,    "the   moon,"    i.e.,    "wonderful 
star." 

NEPA'NON,    "a    shower." 
NEPA'UZ,  "the  sun." 
NE'TOP,  "my  friend." 
NICKQUE'NUM,  "I  am  going." 
NFMBAU,  "thunder." 


Appendix  I  301 

NO'TAMI'SET,  "at  the  oak  tree." 

NO'TTOMOG,    "a  mink." 

NUNNA'KOMA,  "on  the  shore,"  i.e.,  "dry  place." 

O'PENOCK,  "the  marten"  (Mustela  Americana}. 
OUSA'MEQUIN,  "yellow  feather, "  one  of  the  names 

of  the  famous  Indian  Massasoit. 
OUW'AN,   "the  mist." 

PA'PONE'TIN,  "west  wind." 
PA'SHISHA,  "sunrise." 
PE'HTEAU,  "it  foams." 

QUA'NNACUT,  "the  rainbow,"  i.e.,  "long  mantle." 

SO'CHEPO,  "the  snow,"  i.e.,  "it  snows." 
SOHSU'MO,  "glory,"  i.e.,  " it  shines  forth. " 
SOWA'NISHIN,  "south  wind,"  i.e.,  " the  wind  blows 

from  the  south." 

SO'WANO'HKE,    "the   south-land." 
SUNNA'DIN,  "north  wind." 

TAMO'CCON,  "a  flood  tide." 

TAPA'NTAM,  "enough  minded,"  or  "it  satisfies." 

TA'PAPI'MIN,  "room  enough." 

TEA'NUK,  "quickly." 

TIA'DCHE,  "quick." 

TO'PU,  "frost." 

TOUWU'TTIN,  "south  wind." 

USHPUN'WISQ,  "he  lifts  the  cup." 

WAMPMI'SET,  "at  the  chestnut  tree." 
WAMSU'TTA,  "he  has  a  kind  heart,"  name  of  an 
Indian  (eldest  son  of  Massasoit). 


302  Indian  Place-Names 

WAYA'AWI,  "sunset." 

WECHE'KUM,  "the  sea." 

WEKONA'NTAM,  "sweet-minded." 

WE'NAUWE'TU,  "  well  housed. " 

WE'QUARRAN,  "eagle." 

WISA'TTIMI'SET,  "at  the  red-oak  tree." 

WO'DDISH,  "a  nest." 

WOPA'TIN,  "east  wind." 

WO'SOWA'NCON,   "a  rose." 

WUNA'UQUIT,  "evening. " 

WUNNE'GIN,  "welcome." 

WU'NNEOTA'N,  "good  town." 

WUNO'HKE,  "good  ground." 

WUSA'BANUK,  "bank,"  "bluff,"  or  "margin." 

WUSKA'UKOMA,  "grove,"  i.e.,  "new  place." 

WUSKA'WHAN,  "a  pigeon." 

WUSSE'MO,  "he  flies." 

WUSSE'NTAM,  "he  goes  a-wooing." 

WU'SSOQUATOMI'SET,   "at  the  walnut  tree." 

WU'SSUCKHO'SICK,    "writing-house. " 

WUTTA'HMIN,  "strawberry,"  i.e.,  "heart  berry." 

WUTTA'NHO,  "a  staff." 

WY'BENETT,  "the  wind,"  an  Indian  so  named. 

YOVA'WAN,  "midst  of  the  mist." 

Note.  Except  in  a  few  cases,  the  accents  have  been 
added  to  these  words  by  the  editor.  All  of  the 
names  belong  to  the  Massachusetts  (Natick)  and 
Narragansett  dialects.  The  correct  accentuation  of 
some  words  is  a  matter  of  doubt,  as  the  Indians  them- 
selves varied  in  these  matters  not  a  little. 

A.  F.  C. 


APPENDIX  II 

BIBLIOGRAPHY  OF  CONTRIBUTIONS  TO  ALGONKIAN 
NOMENCLATURE,   ETC. 

By  WILLIAM  WALLACE  TOOKER 

CORRESPONDING  MEMBER  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  OF  ARTS  AND 
SCIENCES.  CORRESPONDING  MEMBER  OF  THE  NUMISMATIC 
AND  ANTIQUARIAN  SOCIETY  OF  PHILADELPHIA.  MEMBER 
OF  THE  ANTHROPOLOGICAL  SOCIETY  OF  WASHINGTON.  A 
FOUNDER  OF  THE  AMERICAN  ANTHROPOLOGICAL  ASSOCIATION. 
ONE  TIME  FELLOW  OF  THE  AMERICAN  ASSOCIATION  FOR  THE 
ADVANCEMENT  OF  SCIENCE,  AND  SECRETARY  OF  THE  SECTION 
OF  ANTHROPOLOGY,  ETC. 

1.  Indian  Geographical  Names  on  Long  Island.     In  Brooklyn 

Daily  Eagle  Almanac,  vol.  iii.,  pp.  55-56,  Brooklyn,  1888. 
About  100  names,  alphabetically  arranged,  with  mean- 
ings. 

2.  Indian  Place-Names  on  Long  Island,  revised  and  corrected. 

In  Brooklyn  Daily  Eagle  Almanac,  vol.  iv.,  pp.  25-26, 
Brooklyn,  1889.  About  175  names  alphabetically  ar- 
ranged, with  meanings. 

3.  Indian  Place-Names  on  Long  Island,  revised  and  corrected. 

In  Brooklyn  Daily  Eagle  Almanac,  vol.  v.,  pp.  35-37, 
Brooklyn,  1890. 

4.  Indian  Place-Names  in  East-Hampton,  Long  Island,  with 

their  Probable  Significations.  In  Records  of  the  Town  of 
East  Hampton,  Long  Island,  Suffolk  Co.,  N.  Y.  (Sag 
Harbor,  1889).  An  alphabetical  list  of  28  names  in  the 
Montauk  language,  with  meaning  and  analysis  .  .  . 
Issued  separately,  as  next  title  below. 
303 


304  Indian  Place-Names 

5.  Indian  Place-Names   in   East-Hampton  Town,  with  their 

Probable  Significations,  written  for  the  East-Hampton 
Town  Records,  vol.  iv.,  Sag  Harbor,  J.  H.  Hunt,  printer, 
1889. 

Cover  title  as  above,  inside  title  as  above,  verso  blank;  1., 
text,  pp.  i-x. 

6.  Indian  Place-Names  on  Long  Island,  and  Islands  Adjacent, 

with  their  probable  significations.  Present  Publica- 
tion. 

7.  Notes  to  the  Address  of  Hon.  Henry  P.  Hedges.     In  Address 

delivered  at  the  celebration  of  the  2$oth  anniversary  of  the 
village  and  town  of  Southampton,  June  12,  1890  (Sag 
Harbor,  N.  Y.,  1890).  Also  few  Indian  names  passim, 
with  translation  of  Peconic.  J.  H.  Hunt,  Publisher,  Sag 
Harbor,  N.  Y.,  1890. 

8.  Some  Indian  Names  of  Places  on  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  and 

their  Correspondences  in  Virginia,  as  Mentioned  by  Capt. 
John  Smith,  and  Associates.  Magazine  of  New  England 
History,  vol.  i.,  pp.  154-158,  Newport,  R.  I.,  1891. 

9.  The    Name    Massachusetts.     Magazine   of   New   England 

History,  vol.  i.,  pp.  159-160,  Newport,  R.  I.,  1891. 

10.  Analysis  of  the  claims  of  Southold,  L.  I.,  for  priority  of 

settlement  over  Southampton,  L.  I.,  and  how  they  are 
disproved  by  the  early  records  and  contemporary  manu- 
scripts. Few  Indian  names,  with  their  meaning  given. 
Magazine  of  New  England  History,  vol.  ii.,  pp.  1-16, 
Newport,  R.  I.,  1892. 

Revised  and  read  before  joint  meeting  of  Southampton 
Colonial  Society,  and  Sag  Harbor  Historical  Society, 
March  5,  1903. 

1 1 .  The  Kuskarawaokes  of  Captain  John  Smith.     The  A  merican 

Anthropologist,  vol.  vi.,  pp.  409-414,  Washington,  D.  C., 
1893.  Reprinted  in  The  Archaeologist,  vol.  i.,  pp.  248- 
251,  Waterloo,  Ind.,  December,  1893. 

12.  Indian   Names   of   Places  in   Brooklyn.     Brooklyn   Daily 

Eagle  Almanac,  pp.  58-60,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  1893. 

13.  The  Name  Susquehanna;  Its  Origin  and  Significance.     The 

American  Antiquarian,  vol.  xv.,  pp.  286-291,  Good  Hope, 
111.,  September,  1893. 


Appendix  II  305 

14.  Some  Supposed  Indian  Names  of  Places  on  Long  Island. 

The  Long  Island  Magazine,  vol.  i.,  No.  2,  pp.  51-54, 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  1893. 

15.  The  Aboriginal  Terms  for  Long  Island.     Brooklyn  Daily 

Eagle  Almanac,  pp.  39-41,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  1894.  Re- 
printed in  The  Archaologist,  Waterloo,  Ind.,  vol.  ii.,  pp. 
171-178,  1894. 

1 6.  The  Algonquian  Terms  Patawomeke  and  Massawomeke. 

The  American  Anthropologist,  vol.  vii.,  pp.  174-185, 
Washington,  D.  C.,  1894.  Also  reprint  of  50  copies. 

17.  On  the  Meaning  of  the  Name  Anacostia.     The  American 

Anthropologist,  vol.  vii.,  pp.  389-393.  Washington,  D.  C., 
1894. 

18.  Some  Indian  Fishing  Stations  upon  Long  Island.     This 

paper  is  a  study,  with  interpretations  of  some  Indian 
names  of  fishing  places  upon  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  together 
with  some  historical  facts  relating  to  the  same,  gathered 
from  early  records  and  documents  of  the  I7th  century. 
Read  before  Section  H,  American  Association  for  the 
Advancement  of  Science,  at  Brooklyn,  August,  1894. 
Printed  in  Brooklyn  Daily  Eagle  Almanac,  pp.  54-57, 
1895. 

19.  Roger  William's  Vindicated,  or  an  Answer  to  a  "Key-hole 

for  Roger  Williams's  Key."  A  reply  to  "A  Key-hole  for 
Roger  Williams's  Key,"  by  Wm.  D.  Ely,  Providence,  1892. 
Publications  of  the  Rhode  Island  Historical  Society,  New 
Series,  vol.  ii.,  No.  i,  pp.  61-67,  Providence,  1894.  Re- 
plied to  in  publication  of  same  society,  vol.  ii.,  pp.  189- 
.196,  by  Wm.  D.  Ely. 

20.  The  Key — Fact  versus  Theory.     A   final  answer   to   Wm. 

D.  Ely,  Esq.,  Publication  of  the  Rhode  Island  Historical 
Society,  New  Series,  vol.  ii.,  No.  4,  pp.  237-241,  1895. 
Remarks  by  Dr.  Amos  Perry  on  same  decision  of  Dr. 
Daniel  G.  Winter. 

21.  The  Discovery  of  Chaunis  Temoatan  of  1586.     The  Ameri- 

can Antiquarian,  vol.  xvii.,  pp.  1-15,  Good  Hope,  111., 
1895.  Also  reprint  of  100  copies.  Also  printed  in 
Brooklyn  Daily  Eagle  and  Sag  Harbor  Express,  1894, 
shortly  after  being  read  before  Section  H  of  A.  A.  A.  S., 


306  Indian  Place-Names 

at  Brooklyn,  August,  1894.  Abstract  in  Proceedings 
for  that  year. 

22.  The  Algonquian  Appellatives  of  the  Siouan  Tribes  of  Vir- 

ginia, The  American  Anthropologist,  vol.  viii.,  pp.  376-392, 
Washington,  D.  C.,  1895.  Read  by  the  author  before 
Section  H  of  A.  A.  A.  S.,  at  Springfield,  Mass.,  August, 
1895. 

23.  The  Origin  of  the  Name  "Chesapeake."     The  Magazine  of 

Virginia  History  and  Biography,  vol.  iii.,  No.  I,  pp.  86-88, 
Richmond,  Va.,  1895. 

34.  The  Mystery  of  the  Name  Pamunkey.  American  Anti- 
quarian, vol.  xvii.,  pp.  289-293,  Sept.,  1895.  Also  reprint 
of  100  copies.  Read  before  Section  H  of  A.  A.  A.  S., 
at  Springfield,  Mass.,  August,  1895. 

25.  The  Name  Chickahominy,  its  Origin  and  Etymology.     The 

American  Anthropologist,  vol.  viii.,  pp.  257-265,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.,  1895.  Also  reprint  of  50  copies. 

26.  The  Signification  of  the  Name  Montauk.     Brooklyn  Daily 

Eagle  Almanac,  pp.  54-55,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  1896.  Read 
before  Section  H  of  A.  A.  A.  S.,  at  Rochester,  1895. 

27.  Peculiarities  of  Some  Indian  Names  of  Places  on  Long 

Island.  Read  before  the  Brooklyn  Institute  of  Arts  and 
Sciences,  March  25,  1895.  Printed  in  full  in  Brooklyn 
Daily  Eagle,  March  27,  1895. 

28.  The  Bocootawanaukes,  or  the  Fire  Nation.      The  Archaeo- 

logist, Columbus,  Ohio,  vol.  iii.,  pp.  189-195.  Concluded 
on  pages  253-260,  1895. 

29.  Louisquisset.     Letter  on  the  name,  dated  Nov.  17,  1894. 

In  Book  Notes,  Providence,  R.  I.,  vol.  xii.,  No.  8,  pp.  85- 
86,  1895. 

30.  John  Eliot's  (First  Indian  Teacher  and  Interpreter)  Cocke- 

noe  de-Long-Island,  and  the  Story  of  his  Career,  from  the 
Early  Records,  pp.  60,  8vo.  Francis  P.  Harper,  N.  Y., 
1896.  215  copies  printed.  Read  before  the  Suffolk 
County,  N.  Y.,  Historical  Society. 

31.  The  Indian  Village  of  Wegwagonock.     In  the  Souvenir  of 

the  Fair  held  by  the  Sag  Harbor  Fire  Department,  at 
Masonic  Hall,  June  1-6,  1896.  The  77th  Anniversary 
of  the  organization  of  the  department.  John  E.  Rowe  & 


.Appendix  II  307 

Son,  Printers,  Newark,  N.  J.,  pp.  27-31.  A  description 
of  the  village,  with  translation  of  the  name,  and  notices 
of  several  other  Indian  place-names  in  the  vicinity. 

32.  On  the   Derivation  of  the  Name  Manhattan.     Brooklyn 

Daily  Eagle  Almanac,  pp.  279-283,  1897.  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
Read  by  Dr.W.  J.  McGee,  in  the  absence  of  the  author, 
before  Section  H  of  the  A.  A.  A.  S.,  at  Detroit,  Mich. 

33.  The  Significance  of  John  Eliot's  Natick.     The  American 

Anthropologist,  vol.  x.,  pp.  281-287.  Washington,  D.  C., 
1897.  Also  reprint  of  50  copies. 

34.  Indian  Geographical  Names  and  why  we  should  study  them; 

illustrated  by  some  Rhode  Island  examples.  An  ab- 
stract of  a  paper  read  before  the  Rhode  Island  Historical 
Society,  March  25,  1897.  Publications  of  the  Rhode 
Island  Historical  Society,  New  Series,  vol.  v.,  No.  4,  pp. 
203-215,  1898. 

35.  Translations  of  Some  Indian  Place-Names  in  the  Town  of 

Barrington,  R.  I.  In  A  History  of  Harrington,  R.  I.,  by 
Thomas  Williams  Bicknell,  pp.  9,  n,  13,  Providence, 
1898. 

36.  Analysis  and  Meaning  of  Indian  Geographical  Names  in 

Smithtown,  L.  I.  In  Records  of  Town  of  Smithtown, 
Long  Island,  N.  Y.  (edited  by  Wm.  S.  Pelletreau, 
A.M.,  1898),  pp.  28-32  and  386. 

37.  The  Name  Sumpwams,  and  its  Origin.     In  Silas  Wood's 

Sketch  of  the  Town  of  Huntingdon,  L.  I.  (edited  by  W.  S. 
Pelletreau,  A.M.),  pp.  58-59.  Francis  P.  Harper,  N.  Y., 
1898. 

38.  Ashtabula  and  Conneaut  (Letters  on  Indian  Place-Names) 

In  The  American  Antiquarian,  vol.  xx.,  p.  372,  1898. 

39.  The  Swastika,  and  Other  Marks  among  the  Eastern  Algon- 

quins.  The  American  Antiquarian,  vol.  xx.,  pp.  337- 
349,  1898,  also  reprint  of  100  copies.  Read  before 
Section  H  of  the  A.  A.  A.  S.  at  Boston,  August,  1898. 

40.  The  Problem  of  the  Rechahecrian  Indians  of  Virginia.     The 

American  Anthropologist,  vol.  xi.,  No.  9,  pp.  261-270, 
Washington,  D.  C.,  1898.  Also  reprint  of  50  copies. 
Read  before  Section  H  of  the  A.  A.  A.  S.,  at  Boston, 
August,  1898. 


308  Indian  Place-Names 

41.  The  Adopted  Algonquian  Term  "  Poquosin."     The  American 

Anthropologist  (N.  S.),  vol.  i.,  pp.  162-170,  1899.  Also 
reprint  of  50  copies.  This  paper  was  criticised  by  W.  R. 
Gerard  in  the  "Notes  and  News"  of  the  above  quarterly, 
vol.  i.,  pp.  586-587.  This  was  answered  in  the  same 
volume,  pp.  790-791. 

42.  The  Original  Significance  of  "Merrimac. "     The  American 

Antiquarian,  vol.  xxi.,  pp.  14-16,  1899. 

43.  Amerindian  Names  in  Westchester  County,  N.  Y.     History 

of  Westchester  County,  Shonnard-Spooner,  pp.  45-50, 
1900.  50  reprints  in  galley  proof. 

44.  The   Algonquian  Series.     10  vols.,  I2mo,  N.  Y.,  Francis 

P.  Harper,  1901.     As  follows: 

1.  Origin  of  the  Name  Manhattan.     75  pp. 

2 .  Indian  Names  of  Places  in  the  Borough  of  Brooklyn.   53  pp . 

3.  The  Names  Susquehanna  and  Chesapeake.     63  pp. 

4.  The  Indian  Names  for  Long  Island.     49  pp. 

5.  The  Algonquian  Names  of  the  Siouan  Tribes  of  Virginia. 

83  PP- 

6.  The  Bocootawanaukes  or  the  Fire  Nation.     86  pp. 

7.  Some  Indian  Fishing  Stations  upon  Long  Island.     62  pp. 

8.  The  Names  Patawomeke  and  Massawomeke.     62  pp. 

9.  The  Names  Chickahominy,  Pamunkey,  and  the  Kuskara- 

waokes.     90  pp. 

10.     The  Significance  of  John  Eliot's  Natick,  and  the  name 
Merrimac.     56  pp. 

45.  Algonquian  Names  of  some  Mountains  and  Hills.     Read  be- 

fore the  A.  A.  A.  S.,  Section  H,  December  30,  1902.  The 
Journal  of  American  Folk-Lore,  Boston,  vol.  xvii.,  pp.  171- 
179,  1904.  Reprint  of  100  copies. 

46.  Indian  Place-Names  on  Long   Island.     Revised  and  cor- 

rected, from  the  Almanac  of  1890.  Brooklyn  Daily 
Eagle  Almanac,  1904,  pp.  409-410.  List  of  names  with 
translations. 

47.  Derivation  of  the  Name  Powhatan.     The  American  Anthro- 

pologist, vol.  vi.,  No.  4,  July-September,  1904,  pp.  464-468. 

48.  Book  review.     Remarks  on  the  names  Massasoit,  Ousame- 

quin,  and  Packanoket.  The  American  Anthropologist, 
vol.  vi.,  No.  4,  1904,  pp.  547-548. 


Appendix  II  309 

49.  Some  Powhatan    Names.     The   American  Anthropologist, 

vol.  vi.,  No.  5,  Oct.-Dec.,  pp.  670-694,  1905. 

50.  Meaning  of  Some  Indian  Names  in  Virginia.     William  and 

Mary  College  Quarterly,  vol.  xiv.,  No.  I,  pp.  62-64,  July, 
I905- 

51.  Remarks  on  the  Name  Poughkeepsie,  and  Letter  on  Some 

Neighboring  Indian  Names.  The  Eagle's  History  of 
Poughkeepsie,  by  Edward  Platt,  1905,  pp.  XIII-XV. 

52.  Some     More    about     Virginian    Names.      The    American 

Anthropologist,  vol.  vii.,  No.  3,  pp.  524-528,  1905. 

53.  The  Powhatan  Name  for  Virginia.     The  American  Anthro- 

pologist, vol.  viii.,  No.  I,  pp.  23-27,  1906. 

54.  On  the  Name  Missisquoi.     Three  Letters  on  the  Name  in  A 

Study  of  the  Etymology  of  the  Name  Missisquoi,  by  George 
McAleer,  M.A.  (The  Blanchard  Press,  Worcester,  Mass., 
1906),  pp.  27-32.  See  the  same  with  "Addenda,"  1910. 

55.  The  Meaning  of  Patapsco,  and  Other  Maryland  Geographic 

names.  Maryland  Historical  Magazine,  vol.  ii.,  pp.  287- 
293,  1907.  In  a  paper  by  the  late  Charles  W.  Bump. 

56.  A  Perforated  Tablet  of  Stone  from  New  York.     Illustrated 

by  the  Author.     Smithsonian  Report,  1881,  pp.  658-660. 

57.  Early  License  Laws.     Brooklyn  Times,  April,  1888.     See  my 

Scrap-Book.     (Letter.) 

58.  Anchannock  or  Robins  Island.     Sag  Harbor  Express,  Jan. 

19,  1888.     (Article)  S.  B. 

59.  Cobb.  .  .  .     Origin  of  the   Name.     Sag   Harbor   Express, 

March   n,    1888.     (Article)  S.   B. 

60.  Indian   Fort  on   Montauk.     Sag  Harbor  Express,  March, 

1888.     (Article)  S.  B. 

61.  Indian  Names  on  Long  Island.     Brooklyn  Daily  Eagle,  Dec. 

21,  1888.     (Letter)  S.  B.- 

62.  More  Concerning  Indian  names,  on  Long  Island.     Suffolk 

Bulletin,  Jan.  1889.     (Letter)  S.  B. 

63.  Things  of    the    Past.      Sag  Harbor    Express,   March  20, 

1890  (Letter)  S.  B. 

64.  Claims  of  Gardiner's  Island,  for  Priority  of  English  settle- 

ment, etc.     Sag  Harbor  Express,  Jan.,  1890  (Article)  S.  B. 

65.  Indian  Nomenclature.     Southside  Observer   (Letter),    1891 

S.  B. 


3io  Indian  Place-Names 

66.  Was  Southampton,  Long  Island,  Called  by  the  Indians 

Agawam?    Sag  Harbor  Express,  1891.     (Article)  S.  B. 

67.  Indian    Relics    of    Long    Island.     Brooklyn    Daily    Eagle. 

Lecture   before   the   Brooklyn   Institute  for   Arts   and 
Sciences,  in  1891.     (Article)  S.  B. 

68.  Indian  Names  on  Long  Island.     Southside  Signal,  Jan.  1891. 

(Letter)  S.  B. 

69.  Indian  Name  of  Amityville.     Southside  Signal,  Feb.,  1892. 

(Article)  S.  B. 

70.  Lake  Nowedonah.     Sag    Harbor    Express,    March,    1889. 

(Letter)    S.    B. 

71.  Local  Indian  Names.     Southside  Observer,  1892.     (Letter) 

S.  B. 

72.  Wantagh    and    Wyandance.     Southside    Observer,     1892. 

(Letter)  S.  B. 

73.  Real  Live  Indians.    Brooklyn  Times,  1892.     (Letter)  S.  B. 

74.  Plea  for  an  Ancient  Name.    Brooklyn  Daily  Eagle,  1895. 

(Letter)  S.  B. 

75.  Patchogue's   Name,   its   Origin  and  Meaning.     Patchogue 

Advance,  June,  1896.     (Letter)  S.  B. 

76.  "Early  Long  Island,  a  Colonial  Study."     Notice  of  Miss 

Flint's  History.     Sag  Harbor  Express,  August  6,   1896. 
S.  B. 

77.  Origin  of  the  Name  Syosset.     Brooklyn  Times,  March  29, 

1901.  (Letter)  S.  B. 

78.  Maspeth's  Ancient  Name.     Brooklyn  Daily  Eagle,  March 

19,  1899.     (Letter)  S.  B. 

79.  Refugees  from  Sag  Harbor  in  1776.     Sag  Harbor  Express, 

(Article)  S.  B. 

80.  The  Lost  Colony  of  Roanoke.     New   York  Sun,  October 

22,  1900.      (Letter)  S.  B. 

81.  Early   Sag   Harbor   Printers  and   their    Imprints.     Read 

before  the   Sag   Harbor  Historical  Society,   January  2, 

1902.  Printed  in  Sag  Harbor  Express,  January  23d  and 
30,  1902.     S.  B. 

82.  Rev.  Robert  Fordham,  and  his  Place  in  History.     Read 

before  Sag  Harbor  Historical    Society,    April    i,    1902. 
Sag  Harbor  Express,  April  24,  1902. 


APPENDIX  III 

WORKS  OF  OTHER  WRITERS  CITED  WITH  MORE  OR 
LESS  FREQUENCY  IN  THIS  VOLUME,  AND  OTHER 
WORKS  RELATING  TO  THE  SAME  OR  SIMILAR 
TOPICS 

Ayres,  J.  A.     Legends  of  Montauk,  with  an  Historical  Appen- 
dix.    Hartford,  1849.     Pp.  127. 
Bayles,  R.  M.     Historical  and  Descriptive  Sketches  of  Suffolk 

County,  etc.,  Port  Jefferson,  L.  I.,  1874.     Pp-  xii->  I3~424-1 
— History  of  Richmond  County   (Staten    Island)    from    its 

Discovery  to  the  Present  Time.     New  York,  1887.     Pp.  750. 
Beauchamp,  W.  M.      Indian     Names     of     New     York,     etc. 

Fayetteville,  N.  Y.,  1893.     Pp.  148. 
Benson,  E.     Memoir  Read  before  the  Historical  Society  of  the 

State  of  New  York,  December  31,  1816. 
Boyd,  S.  G.     Indian  Local  Names,  with  their  Interpretation. 

York,  Pa.,  1885.     Pp.  x.,  70. 
De  Kay,  J.  E.     [A  List  of   Indian   Names   of   Places  on   Long 

Island.]  N.  Y.,  1851.     Printed,  but  not  published. 
Flint,    M.   B.      Early   Long   Island:   a   Colonial  Study.     New 

York,  1896.     Pp.  9,  459. 
French,  J.  H.     Gazetteer  of  the  State  of  New  York,   loth  ed. 

Syracuse,  1861.     Pp.  739. 
Furman,  G-     Antiquities  of  Long  Island  to   which  is  Added  a 

Bibliography,    by     Henry    Onderdonck,     Jr.     Edited    by 

Frank  Moore.     New  York,   1874.     Pp-  47^-     Also  ed.    of 

1875- 
— Notes,  Geographical  and  Historical,  relating  to  the  Town 

of  Brooklyn  in  Kings  County  on  Long  Island.     Brooklyn, 

1824.     Pp.    116.     Also  reprint  of   1865  and  reprinted  in 

Antiquities  of  Rhode  Island,  1875. 

1  In  The  American  Catalogue  (N.  Y.,  1880)  this  book  is  given  as  published 
by  Munsell. 

3" 


312  Indian  Place-Names 

Gardiner,   D.      Chronicles  of   the  Town  of    East    Hampton, 

County  of  Suffolk,  New  York.  N.  Y.,  1871,  pp.  121. 
Gardiner,  J.  L.  Montauk  Vocabulary,  taken  down  (March, 
25»  !798)  from  the  lips  of  a  Montauk  chief.  MS.  in  pos- 
session of  J.  L.  Gardiner  of  Gardiner's  Island;  also  copy, 
made  by  Wm.  W.  Tooker,  in  library  of  Bureau  of  American 
Ethnology,  Washington,  D.  C.  This  vocabulary  of  some 
seventy  words  is  printed  in  the  following  works: 

Bayles,  R.  M.     Historical  and   Descriptive  Sketches  of 
Suffolk  County  (Port  Jefferson,  1874),  pp.  63-64. 

Lambert,  E.  R.     History  of  the  Colony  of  New  Haven 
(New  Haven,   1838,),  p.   184. 

Macauley,    J.      Natural    .    .    .    History    of    New    York. 
(Albany,    1829),   p.   252. 

Wood,    S.      Sketch    of   Long   Island    (Brooklyn,    1824), 
p.  28. 

Gowans,  W.  Bibliotheca  Americana.  Vol.  i.  Denton,  D. 
Brief  Description  of  New  York  formerly  called  Nether- 
lands, N.  Y.,  1845. 

Hall,  E.  The  Ancient  Historical  Records  of  Norwalk,  Conn., 
etc.  Norwalk,  1847.  Pp.  320.  Another  ed.  New  York, 
1865. 

Handbook  of  American  Indians  North  of  Mexico.  Ed.  F.  W. 
Hodge.  Washington,  (Bureau  of  American  Ethnology). 

2  VOls.       I907-I9IO. 

Hedges,  H,  P.     An  Address  Delivered  on  the  2Oth  of  December, 
1849,  on  the  Occasion  of  the  Celebration  of  the  Two  Hun- 
dredth Anniversary  of  the  Settlement  of  the  Town  of  East 
Hampton,   etc.     Sag  Harbor,   L.   L,    1850.      Pp.    100. 
— Records  of  the  Town  of  East   Hampton,  from    1639,  etc. 

4  vols.     Sag  Harbor,  1887. 

— A  History  of  the  Town  of  East  Hampton,  N.  Y.,  etc.     Sag 
Harbor,  N.  Y.,  1897.     Pp.  5,  344,  10. 

Howell,  G.  R.  The  Early  History  of  Southampton,  L.  I., 
New  York.  With  Genealogies.  New  York,  1866.  Pp. 
318.  Second  Edition,  Revised,  Corrected,  and  Enlarged. 
Albany,  1887.  Pp.  viii.,  473. 

Jefferson,  T,  A  Vocabulary  of  the  Language  of  the  Unquachog 
Indians,  who  Constitute  the  Pusspatock  Settlement  in  the 


Appendix  III  313 

Town  of  Brookhaven,    South   Side   of  Long  Island.     MS. 

(Copy  by  P.  Duponceau)  in  the  library  of  the  American 

Philosophical  Society,  Philadelphia,  Pa.),  of  Vocabulary  of 

150  words  taken  down  in  1791. 
(Vocabulary  of  the  Long  Island    Language).      Printed    in 

Gallatin's    Synopsis     of     Indian    Tribes,    in    Archaologia 

Americana  (Trans.  Amer.  Antiq.  Soc.),  vol.  ii.,  Cambridge, 

Mass.,  1836,  pp.  306-367. 
Jones,  N.  fW.     Indian  Bulletin  for  1867,   No.   I.     New  York, 

1867.     Pp.  16.     Interpretation  of  Indian  Names,  pp.  13-16; 

Long  Island  Names,  pp.  13-14. 
— Indian  Bulletin  for  1868,  No.  2,  New  York,  1868.      Pp.  26. 

Interpretation  of  Indian  Names,  pp.   12-26;  Long  Island 

Names,  pp.  14-15. 
Nelson,  W.     The  Indians  of  New  Jersey.  .  .  With  Notices  of  Some 

Indian    Place-Names.      Paterson,  N.  J.,   1894.      Pp.    168. 
Personal  Names  of    Indians    of    New    Jersey.     Paterson, 

N.  J.  1904.     Pp.  168. 

New  Haven  Colonial  Records.     Cited:  N.  H.  Col.  R. 
Parsons,  U.      Indian     Names    of    Places    in    Rhode   Island. 

Providence,     1861.     Pp.  iv.,     5-32. 
Pelletreau,  W.  S.     Analysis  and  Meaning  of  Some  of  the  Indian 

Geographical    Names    of    Suffolk     County,     New     York. 

Riverhead  Weekly  News,  May  15,  1883.     The  original  MS. 

(pp.  19)  is  in  possession  of  Wm.  W.  Tooker,  Sag  Harbor, 

L.I. 
Centennial     Celebration    at     Southampton,    Long   Island, 

N.  Y.,  July  4,  1876.     Sag  Harbor,  1876.      Pp.  26. 
Records  of  the  Town  of  Smithtown,  Long  Island,  N.  Y. 

etc.  Huntington,  N.  Y.,  1898.     Pp.     xvi.,  503. 
Prime,  N.   S.      A  History  of  Long  Island,  from  its  First  Settle- 
ment by  Europeans   to  the  Year    1845,  etc.     New  York, 

1845.     Pp.  xii.,  420. 

Records  of  the  Town  of  Brookhaven.     Cited:  B.  H.  R. 
Records  of  the  Town  of  Easthampton.     Cited:  E.  H.  R. 
Records  of  the  Town  of  Huntington.     Cited:  H.  R. 
Records  of  the  Town  of  Southampton.     Cited:  S.  H.  R. 
Records  of  the  Town  of  Smithtown.     Cited:  S.  R. 
Records  of  the  Town  of  Southold.     Cited:  Southold  R. 


314  Indian  Place-Names 

^^y^^t1^ 

Riker,  J.  Jr.     The  Annals  of  Newton  in  Queens  County,  New 

York,  etc.     N.  Y.,  1852.     Pp.  437 

Ruttenber,  E.  M.      Indian     Geographical    Names.     In    Pro- 
ceedings of 'the  New  York  State  Historical  Association  for  1906. 
Smith,    E.    T.      Brookhaven   1665-1876.       Historic  Sketch  of 

the  Town  of  Brookhaven.      N.  p.  1876.     Pp.  10. 
Stiles,  H,  R.     A  History  of  the  City  of  Brooklyn,  etc.     2  vols. 

Brooklyn,  1867.    Also  another  edition  in  3  vols.    Albany, 

1869. 
Thompson,  B.  F.    Paper    upon    the    Indian    Names  of  Long 

Island.    Proc.N.  Y.  Histor.  Soc.,  1845  (1846),  pp.  125-131. 

History  of  Long  Island.     New   York,    1843.     2  vols. 

Trumbull,  J.  H.     Words  Derived    from    Indian    Languages  of 

North  America.      Trans.  Amer.  Philol.  Assoc.,  1872,  pp. 

19-32. 
Indian  Local  Names  in  Rhode  Island.    Proc.  Amer.  Philol. 

Assoc.,  1872,  pp.  19-20. 
Indian  Names  of  Places  on  Long    Island,    derived   from 

Esculent  Roots.     Mag.  Amer.  Hist.   (N.  Y.),  vol.  i.,  1877, 

pp.  386-387. 
Indian  Names  of  Places,  etc.,  in  and  on  the  Borders  of 

Connecticut:  with  Interpretations  of  Some  of  them.     Hart- 
ford, 1881.     Pp.  xiii.,  93. 
Natick    Dictionary.       Smithsonian    Institution.      Bureau 

of  American  Ethnology.     Bulletin  25.    Washington,  1903. 

Pp.  xxviii.  349. 

-The  Composition  of  Indian  Geographical  Names,  illustrated 


from  the  Algonkin  Languages.     Conn.  Hist.  Soc.  Coll.,  vol. 
ii.,  1870.     Pp.  1-50. 

Note.    This  list  has  been  compiled  by  the  editor  from  the 
references  in  the  text  of  Mr.  Tooker,  etc. 


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